- From: Neal Ewers <ewers@tracecenter.org>
- Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 10:09:59 -0600
- To: Jon Gunderson <jongund@staff.uiuc.edu>, mark novak <menovak@facstaff.wisc.edu>, w3c-wai-ua@w3.org
Almost every day, I get a call from someone who wants to use the web but has never laid their hands on a computer and will likely not do so if they can't figure out how to use either the computer or the software on the computer. So I have to ask, where do these persons fit in the priority of needing documentation for a user agent they no nothing about and thus can not use said agent to read the documentation. This is a bit of a catch 22 is it not? If you can't use the agent, you can't read the documentation. If you can read the documentation, you can't use the agent. What should I tell all the people who call wanting internet access? I could tell them that they have to learn to use the agent in order to read about how to use the agent, but I don't think they will do it. I don't think some of them can do it. So, Do I really have to tell them that we think it is a priority two and they are just out of luck? I don't mean to be harsh about this, but I think this is exactly what we are saying. I understand the need to get our priorities in order. But I'm still at a loss as to how to reconcile the fact that a person's only ability to learn about the agent is a priority two. At 03:26 PM 2/18/99 -0600, Jon Gunderson wrote: >The rationale is that even if the documentation is not accessible, somebody >culd still use the user agent. In general Priority 1 is reserved for the >checkpoints that make it impossible for people to do without the feature. >Priority level 2 still indicates that it is very difficult if it is not >accessible. > >We are trying to limit and focus the priority 1 to the items that are most >essential for implementation. > >Jon > > > > >At 02:00 PM 2/18/99 -0500, mark novak wrote: >>hi >> >>[ February 10th version ] >> >>along with Kitch's comments, I was wondering why 4.1.2, Ensure that product >>documentation is available in at least one accessible, open standard >>electronic >>format (e.g., HTML, XML, ASCII)., was not a priority 1? Just seems a bit >>strange that so much effort is going into improving the UA, yet "at least >one" >>accessible form of the documentation is only a "should" (priority 2 >>definition). >> >>mark >> >> >> >>>Hi, >>> >>> >>>The following are my comments on section 4, "Ensure that the user interface >>>is accessible." My comments are based on the February 10th version of the >>>guidelines at http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/WD-WAI-USERAGENT-19990210/ My >>>comments are preceded by KB: and I've cut any text that I thought was ok as >>>is. I hope they make sense. >>> >>> >>>Kitch >>> >>> >>> >>>Section 4.1 Ensure accessible product installation, documentation, and >>>configuration >>> >>>4.1.1 [Priority 1] >>> Ensure that the software may be installed in a device-independent >>>manner for all supported input and output devices. >>> >>>KB: I think the words "for all" should be replaced with "using any" so the >>>checkpoint would read >>> >>> Ensure that the software may be installed in a device-independent >>>manner using any supported input and output devices. >>> >>> >>>4.1.4 [Priority 2] >>> Follow operating system conventions for user interface design, user >>>agent configuration (including configuration profiles), product >>>installation and documentation, and accessibility flags and interfaces. >>> >>>KB: Should the last word, interfaces, be changed to settings? I assume that >>>this checkpoint means that user agent should pass through OS accessibility >>>settings such as color schemes and font sizes that the user has set in the >>>OS. I don't know if accessibility interfaces is clear. >>> >>> >>> >>>Section 4.2 Support input and output device-independence >>> >>> >>>4.2.3 [Priority 1] >>> Ensure that the user can activate the links in a document in an input >>>device-independent manner. >>>4.2.4 [Priority 1] >>> Ensure that the user can activate the form controls in a document in >>>an input device-independent manner. >>> >>> >>>KB: Did we decide on the teleconference that these two checkpoints could be >>>combined into a single checkpoint by substituting "all active elements" for >>>"links" and "form controls" ? >>> >>> >>> >>>Section 4.3 Support accessible keyboard input >>> >>> >>> >>>4.3.1 [Priority 2] >>> Allow the user to configure keyboard access to user agent >>>functionalities. Configuration includes the ability to specify single as >>>well as multi-key access. >>> >>> >>>KB: This may be a silly question, but will it be obvious to developers what >>>single and multi-key access means? I wonder if the checkpoint should read - >>>Configuration includes the ability to specify single keystroke commands as >>>well as commands that require keystroke combinations. >>> >>> >>> >>>4.3.2 [Priority 2] >>> Ensure that user can find out about all keyboard bindings. >>>4.3.4 [Priority 3] >>> Display keyboard bindings in menus. >>> >>>KB: We discussed on the telecon that checkpoint 4.3.4 is covered by >>>checkpoint 4.3.2. >>> >>> >>> >>> 4.4 Ensure that users can disable features that might interfere with >>>accessibility >>> >>>KB: suggested rewording >>> >>>Users must be able to turn on and off support for features that may >>>interfere with accessibility. User agents are only expected to provide [KB: >>>this] control for content that it recognizes [KB: such] as an image, >>>blinking text, etc. For example, an applet may cause text to blink but the >>>user agent may not be able to detect it since the blinking text is >>>generated by an applet rather than markup or style sheets. A user agent >>>should recognize text that blinks because of markup or style sheets. >>>Details are provided in the techniques document. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>4.4.12 [Priority 1] >>> Allow the user to turn on and off support for spawned windows. >>> >>>KB: I know that spawned windows are a problem but I am not sure if it is a >>>priority 1 problem. What do people think? Is it important to let the user >>>turn off this feature or should the user agent just make sure that the user >>>is notified when a new window is spawned? >> >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 Tuesday, 23 February 1999 11:08:59 UTC