Re: Last Call review period: W3C User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (Dec. 1)

Denis Anson wrote:
> 
> This looks like an authoring issue more than an UA issue.  If the author
> didn't put meta-tags in a page, how could the agent create them?

I agree with Denis. The "provide" in the checkpoint below is
meant for the user agent, and the UA will usually (always?)
derive navigation mechanisms from markup: LINK elements, header elements
used to contstruct a table of contents, etc.

Furthermore, the requirement for metadata from authors is 
checkpint 13.2 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 
(under Guideline 13) [1]:

     13.2 Provide metadata to add semantic information to pages and
sites.

The UA Working Group has discussed how to support metadata provided
by authors and decided that user agents should 
handle metadata according to specification.

Thank you,

 - Ian

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/#gl-facilitate-navigation


> -----Original Message-----
> From: w3c-wai-ua-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ua-request@w3.org]On Behalf
> Of bob.maslyn@gsa.gov
> Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 1999 1:04 PM
> To: w3c-wai-ua@w3.org
> Cc: thomas.freebairn@gsa.gov; susan.turnbull@gsa.gov;
> karl.hebenstreit@gsa.gov
> Subject: Last Call review period: W3C User Agent Accessibility Guidelines
> (Dec. 1)
> 
> I propose a short but important addition (specifically citing the use of
> metatags, which would help not only the cognitively disabled but everyone),
> as follows:
> ================================
> 
> Guideline 7. Provide navigation mechanisms
> 
>          Provide navigation mechanisms that meet the needs of different
> users:
> serial navigation for context, direct navigation for speed, search
> functions,
> structured navigation, etc.  [ADD NEW SENTENCE: This should include the
> routine use of metatags in coding web pages, especially the meta
> description and keywords, to increase the "find-ability" of web pages
> by directory and search engines, and hence by the cognitively disabled
> user and all users.]
> 
> ================================
> 
> I'd be happy to discuss further, as requested.
> 
> -- Bob Maslyn
> Manager, Web.Gov
> bob.maslyn@gsa.gov
> +1-202-219-0986

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel/Fax:                     +1 212 684-1814
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Saturday, 4 December 1999 12:02:51 UTC