Addition to Techniques for UAAG 9.4

aloha!

since the 10 march 2000 techniques for UAAG Checkpoint 9.4

quote
When loading content (e.g., document, image, audio, video, etc.)
indicate what proportion of the content has loaded and whether
loading has stalled. [Priority 3]
unquote

includes the following,

quote
+ Allow users to configure what status information they want
   rendered. Useful status information includes:
       * Document proportions (numbers of lines, pages, width,
         etc.)
       * Number of elements of a particular type (e.g., tables)
       * The viewport is at the beginning or end of the document.
       * Size of document in bytes
unquote

i would like the following added:

1. add the words forms and headers to the parenthetical aside following 
sub-ordinate unordered list item 2

         (e.g. tables, forms, headers)

2. edit the third sub-ordinate unordered list item to read:

quote
The viewport is at the beginning or end of the document, or when it is in a 
form or table
unquote

3. add the following as subordinate unordered list items:

quote
       * Number of form controls in each form (e.g. "Page contains
         one form containing six text-entry fields, a fieldset containing
         seven checkboxes, a fieldset containing 3 radio buttons, a
         submit and reset button.")
       * Number of form controls in each FIELDSET
       * Allow the user to configure the user agent so that an alert/cue
          is issued when the user when the end of a table or form is
          encountered
              + Ensure that end-of-element alerts/cues are available in a
                 device independent manner and a range of media The
                 user should not be limited to only one alert mechanism.
unquote

a few notes:

1) the example of a notification message included parenthetically in the 
first asterisked item -- (e.g. "Page contains
one form containing six text-entry fields, a fieldset containing seven 
checkboxes, a fieldset containing 3 radio buttons, a submit button and a 
reset button.") represents only a minimal satisfaction of this 
checkpoint...  perhaps this could be noted, and a richer example included, 
such as:

(e.g. Page contains one form containing six text-entry fields; a fieldset 
entitled "Choose your favorite deadly sins" containing seven checkboxes; a 
fieldset entitled "How often do you confess your sins" containing 3 radio 
buttons; a submit button and a reset button."

the point being that the user should be able to configure the user agent so 
that the notification is as verbose or as terse as that individual 
desires...    while the default example is terse (as it identifies only the 
type, number, and grouping of the controls in the form), a user may wish to 
configure the user agent (or adaptive technology, if it chooses to make 
this information available by accessing the DOM) to include extended 
semantic information (i.e. the legend defined for a fieldset, the label of 
each text-entry or text-area field), or may wish to exclude certain types 
of form controls, or selectively choose what extended semantic information 
will be exposed (i.e. expand the LEGEND for each FIELDSET; expand the 
labels associated with all text entry fields; enumerate the number of radio 
and checkboxes, but do not expand the labels associated with them; etc.)

2) i considered prefacing the last asterisked item with the phrase quote If 
the user agent supports a system caret or "show cursor" option unquote, but 
removed it as i think it extraneous...

3) i'm not quite sure whether the last asterisked item belongs in the 
Techniques for this checkpoint, or would be more appropriately added to the 
Accessibility Issues Section entitled "4.11 Forms"

gregory
--------------------------------------------------------
He that lives on Hope, dies farting
      -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1763
--------------------------------------------------------
Gregory J. Rosmaita <unagi69@concentric.net>
    WebMaster and Minister of Propaganda, VICUG NYC
         <http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/vicug/index.html>
--------------------------------------------------------

Received on Friday, 17 March 2000 06:47:46 UTC