Comment on 2.2 pause user input timings

Checkpoint 2.2 For a presentation that requires user input within a
specified time interval, allow the user to configure the user agent to
pause the presentation automatically and await user input before
proceeding. P1.

Further clarification is needed.  For example:

1. When the "time interval" is controlled by the server, there is no way
the user agent can meet this checkpoint.  This should be clarified in the
techniques document.

2. When the presentation is dealing with "security" or secure type
connections, for example transferring funds from a bank account, for
security reasons the connection cannot be left "opened" until the users
responds.   It is reasonable to allow the client-side scripting to prompt
the user for input, and if the user doesn't respond in a set amount of
time, say 6 seconds, then the connection can be closed.  The author (not
UA) could have to change the scripting to ask the user if they need more
time to keep the connection open.  If the user didn't respond to this
additional time request, then the connection would close.  In all these
"security" scenarios, the user agent cannot automatically pause the
presentation - the dependency is on the author to make the "presentation" -
or in this case "web application" more accessibility friendly.  Further
investigation is needed in the "security" scenario and then should be
documented in the techniques. The techniques needs to keep in mind that the
technique may "contradict" the other checkpoints that requires that the
page "work" with JavaScripts turned off [if JavaScript is turned off, how
does the UA pause the timing when it's not running?].

3. The phrase in the techniques "If timing effects are described through
scripts in a manner that the user agent can recognize, it must allow the
user to control the timing of the presentation." needs to be further
defined with examples. In other words, which scripts should the user agent
recognize?  The definition of "recognize" is a hint, "... However, it will
recognize some information encoded in scripts, such as code to open a
viewport or retrieve a resource from the Web. The Techniques document
[UAAG10-TECHS] lists some markup known to affect accessibility that should
be recognized by user agents", but I couldn't find any list of scripts in
the techniques that affect timing and accessibility that should be
recognized.

Regards,
Phill Jenkins
IBM Research Division - Accessibility Center

Received on Monday, 13 November 2000 19:56:50 UTC