XForms, accessibility, and the U.S. Government

This comment was dicussed in the XForms face to face meeting which I am
attending this week.

http://www.w3.org/2005/11/09-xforms-irc#T16-14-30

"My suggested topic for dinner conversation is validation for screen
readers or other WAI clients, as I am getting pushback on using XForms in
products from those who sell to US Government customers who say that Bobby
doesn't like XForms."

I was given the action item to talk to people in the WAI about this. I am
not sure which WAI working group this was discussed but I wanted to respond
on behalf of the XForms working group.

XForms was designed with accessibility from its inception. It is really up
to Watchfire (purchased Bobby) to support XForms. I am not sure in what
context XForms is being used but the problem is not with XForms supporting
accessibility it is however necessary for Bobby to be able to test the
accessibility of more than static html. It is also up to whatever
application supports XForms to provide an accessible, interoperable
solution with assistive technology vendors.

This will be particularly important moving foward on WCAG 2 where WCAG 2
addresses much more than html and operates off of accessibility principles.
It is being to addressed other technologies like XForms.

Rich


Rich Schwerdtfeger
Distinguished Engineer, SWG Accessibility Architect/Strategist
Emerging Technologies
Chair, IBM Accessibility Architecture Review  Board
blog: http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/dw_blog.jspa?blog=441
schwer@us.ibm.com, Phone: 512-838-4593,T/L: 678-4593, mobile: 512-876-9689

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.",
Frost