Re: Proposed text about which UAs are expected to conform

Jon Gunderson wrote:
> 
> Comments in JRG:
> At 04:02 PM 4/16/00 -0400, Ian Jacobs wrote:
> >Hello,
> >
> >As part of resolving issue 232 [1], I'd like to propose the
> >following text for the section on conformance to explain which
> >user agents this document is meant for. Please note that the
> >abstract of the document already discusses which user agents
> >these guidelines are meant to address.
> >
> ><BLOCKQUOTE>
> >Which user agents may conform
> >
> >This document has been designed to promote the accessibility of
> >general-purpose graphical user agents. While many of the principles
> >set forth in this document apply to other
> >classes of user agents, including assistive technologies, many of the
> >checkpoints do not. As the number of applicable
> >checkpoints decreases for a piece of software, the likelihood
> >increases that the guidelines are not an accurate gauge of the
> >accessibility of that piece of software. Therefore, while assistive
> >technologies and other specialized user agents obviously promote
> >accessibility, they are not expected to conform (for instance, because
> >they offer a single output mode such as speech,
> 
> JRG: I would suggest :
> The primary mode of output maybe generated speech, but the technology does
> offer a minimal visual interface for sighted support and trouble
> shooting.  The speech part of the interface may comply with the guidelines,
> but the visual interface does not.

IJ: I don't think we should enter into that much detail in this part
of the guidelines.

 - Ian
 
> >or they do not make
> >available information through APIs) because
> >they are not general purpose user agents.  This document will help
> >assistive technology developers understand what functionalities and
> >communication an accessible general purpose user agent should provide.
> ></BLOCKQUOTE>
> >
> >  - Ian
> >
> >[1] http://cmos-eng.rehab.uiuc.edu/ua-issues/issues-linear.html#232
> >--
> >Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
> >Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
> >Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783
> 
> Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
> Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
> Chair, W3C WAI User Agent Working Group
> Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
> College of Applied Life Studies
> 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
> WWW: http://www.w3.org/wai/ua

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Monday, 17 April 2000 11:54:22 UTC