Re: PROPOSED RESOLUTION: Issue 294: Native support and downloadab le modules

My comments are labeled below with "EH:" (Eric Hansen).

Jon Gunderson wrote:
> 
> I discussed Issue 294 related to using modules for satisfying conformance
> requirements in the CG meeting today.  Len Kasday and Al Gilman felt that
> the use of modules for conformance purposes was OK, as long as the modules
> are named in any conformance statement.  Of course they would prefer to
see
> it as part of the standard installation.
>
> I suggest that we resolve this issue by adopting the proposal to allow
> developers to conform to the UA guidelines using a combination of user
> agent modules and that the specification of the combination of modules be
a
> required part of the conformance statement.  The details of where the
> modules come from do not need to be a part of the requirement (i.e.
CD-ROM,
> Web, Disk).  I think that there should be additional verbage to encourage
> developers to make accessibility features part of the standard
installation
> of the product.

IJ: Yes, I agree:

1) Anyone can make a claim.
2) Each claim must identify product or plug-in version. Each claim
   should provide information about where to get those components.
3) User agent developers should make available user agents whose
features
   allow conformance with little or no extra effort from the user beyond
   standard installation.

To bolster point three, we could define a profile that people could
name in a conformance claim. For instance, suppose that one conformance
profile is "Level Double-A Default Installation" which means that
if you install the software following the default settings, you will
get a Double-A conforming UA. There may be other profiles that interest
people (e.g., Level-A when used with this speech synthesizer) but
I would not propose trying to standardize too many. If people are
most interested in knowing whether the UA will conform out of the box,
would we make it easier on people to provide them with a known profile?

EH: I also agree. I have a few other suggestions that I hope to make later.

Jon Gunderson:
    
> The authoring tools working group has already adopted this approach in
> their conformance statement for the authoring tools guidelines, so we
would
> be consistent with they specifications for conformance.

IJ: Thanks Jon!

EH: Yes, thanks!
===========================
Eric G. Hansen, Ph.D.
Development Scientist
Educational Testing Service
ETS 12-R
Princeton, NJ 08541
609-734-5615 (Voice)
E-mail: ehansen@ets.org
(W) 609-734-5615 (Voice)
FAX 609-734-1090

Received on Wednesday, 16 August 2000 13:26:19 UTC