RE: Request for review and comment on tables and conformance proposal

Response in JRG:
At 03:30 PM 1/26/99 -0500, Denis Anson wrote:
>Some comments on the tables and conformance proposal:
>
>Checkpoint 6.2.7: [Priority 1]
>Provide a means for the user to execute a script at the end of loading
>(onload event in HTML 4.0 specification) and document changed (may not be
>defined in current W3C standards) events.
>
>I would assume that the assumption, though it is not stated, is that the
>script would be in JavaScript.  This rather begs is issue of what this
>script is supposed to do.  Is the intent to use the script to reformat the
>page in some way so that it is more accessible to legacy technology?
>Probably some idea of what sort of reformatting is involved would be
>desirable.

JRG: There was discussion on this issue yesterday at the telecon.  I think
that this checlpoint will need further revision and it may not make it in
the final draft.  It is an attempt to use the built-in scripting
capabilities to create user defined custom interface for people with
disabilities or to provide compatibility with legacy technology.  There was
concern in the call yesterday that this was maybe too specific of
checkpoint and  reads more like a technique .  Personally I think this kind
of feature allows the development of more grass roots solutions and allow
current AT developers a bridge to better interfaces.  But we shall see what
happens.  

>
>If the script is run after each "document changed" event, would that be
>triggered by any cyclic graphic or decorative gizmo such as many pages use?
>Greg Vanderheiden's "spinning globe" comes to mind.  If the script runs each
>time the page changes, even for trivial changes, it could easily make legacy
>technology crazy!
>
>One of the things that I think we might have to come to grips with is the
>issues of AT devices having to determine what they are talking to in order
>to know what to look for.  Having the DOM exposed is fine, provided that an
>AT product knows that the thing being looked at is a browser.  Microsoft
>Word can open web pages, and display them.  Is it a browser?  Does it expose
>the DOM, and does it expose similar information in other documents?  To some
>extent, this is not our problem, but for us to recommend a "solution" that
>no one can figure out how to use.

JRG: I think embedded technoloies are important and our work shouldn't
ingnore the issues, but right now I think we need to keep the desktop
graphical user agent as our  primary model for access.  In the case of
embedded application environments, there are usually accessibility APIs the
assistive technology is also using that could identify the embedded HTML
and pass on the DOM to the assistive technology.

>
>On another matter, one of the points that we have been promoting is that the
>user can implement a style sheet under CSS, so that there is some local
>control over rendering of the document.  However, my reading of the CSS book
>says that the priority is for the author stylesheet, the user style sheet,
>then the default browser style sheet.  Does this mean that if the author
>creates a style sheet, the user's sheet will be over-ridden?  This seems
>like a bad idea, from an accessibility point of view.

JRG: Our current guidelines require that the user have the final control
over font rendering by asking that the user be able to turn off author
supplied font information.


>
>Denis Anson, MS, OTR
>Assistant Professor
>Computer Access Specialist
>College Misericordia
>301 Lake Street
>Dallas, PA 18612
>
>RESNA
>The International Organization of Assistive Technology Professionals
>
>Member since 1989
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: w3c-wai-ua-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ua-request@w3.org]On
>Behalf Of Jon Gunderson
>Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 1999 12:15 PM
>To: w3c-wai-ua@w3.org
>Subject: Request for review and comment on tables and conformance
>proposal
>
>
>Members of the UA group, please review and comment on the proposal for
>tables and conformance posted last friday.  I think this is a critical
>issue for the group to resolve, so we can move this document foreward to
>recommendation status.  Please take the time to review and respond to the
>list.  Look forward to your comments.
>
>Proposal:
>http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JanMar/0073.html
>
>UA List:
>w3c-wai-ua@w3.org
>
>Thanks,
>Jon
>
>Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
>Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
>Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
>University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
>1207 S. Oak Street
>Champaign, IL 61820
>
>Voice: 217-244-5870
>Fax: 217-333-0248
>E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu
>WWW:	http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund
>	http://www.als.uiuc.edu/InfoTechAccess
>
> 
Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
1207 S. Oak Street
Champaign, IL 61820

Voice: 217-244-5870
Fax: 217-333-0248
E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu
WWW:	http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund
	http://www.als.uiuc.edu/InfoTechAccess

Received on Thursday, 28 January 1999 09:48:13 UTC