Re: Last call comments from WCAG working group

On Wed, 6 Dec 2000, Jon Gunderson wrote:

  Responses in JRG:

  JRG: If the developer is relying on the VM for some accessibility
  functionalities required by UAAG, the developer may only be able to claim
  conformance for certain operating systems that they can demonstrate
  actually meet the guidelines.  Therefore they may not be able to claim
  conformance for every OS with a Java VM.
CMN
But they can claim conformance with "any conforming Java VM".

Wendy
  >It was my understanding of this section that if a standard accessibility
  >API does not exist for an operating system, that the developer must create
  >and use their own.  This would cause an AT developer to learn a different
  >API for each browser on a platform that did not have an accessibility API.
[and good reasons why this can be a problem]

In actual fact it makes life a bit painful for the developers. Basically, if
there isn't an API they have to make one. If there is, they have to use it.
So if they start working on a system without one, and they make their own,
and then a later version of the system introduces a standard one, they cannot
conform for the later versions of the system until they change to it. Which
gives them a strong incentive to work with the developers of the underlying
OS's, but doesn't just leave a requirement as vague as "work with some other
folks"

Chaals

Received on Thursday, 7 December 2000 13:18:09 UTC