Re: comments on section 4, ensuring that product documentation is available....

I agree with Mark that the issue deserves priority 1, and therefore
add my voice to his request that it be re-opened.

Although it may be possible for a user to discover how to use
a User Agent without documentation, the fact that so much money is sent
producing documentation would suggest otherwise. Further, it seems that
many of the cues used by non-disabled users to assist their learning are
less obvious to disabled users - absence of warning beeps, or layouts
which are rendered incosistently via assistive technologies are examples
of how the problems acan be multiplied.

I would use slightly different wording to Mark's:

Ensure that Product documentation is available in an accessible format

Since the issue of documenting accessibility-specific features (whichever
those are seen to be) is a seperate requirement.

Charles McCathieNevile

On Wed, 24 Feb 1999, mark novak wrote:

[snip]  
  in short:
  
  at the risk of being a pest, I'm going to suggest that this "issue" is not
  closed and that this topic be re-opened for discussion? 

[snip]
  
  Therefore, I'd like to make the following proposal:
  
  Reword Guideline 4.1.2 as follows:
  
  Ensure that accessible product documentation is available (or
  available upon request ?).
  
  I'd also propose that this become a priority #1 item.
  
  
  Then, in the techniques document, I think the technique for providing
  this guideline should state something like (or whatever best words this):
  
  Accessible documentation may take an electronic format (ASCII, HTML, etc.),
  Braille, audio tape, large print, etc. ... and must be available upon user
  request.
  
  - with the key issue being, the user having access to whatever form best suites
  their needs when/if they request it.
  
  
  While not my first choice in solving this problem, I think this method
  still conveys the importance and responsibility to the UA developer for
  accessible documentation as requested, but should not take away from their
  ability
  (time and development team effort) to also create the best and most
  accessible UA,
  which meets as many priority #1 items as they can.
  
  thoughts ?
  
  mark

Received on Wednesday, 24 February 1999 16:02:05 UTC