Re: headers attribute debate

Patrick H. Lauke wrote:

> With regards to the recent debate over the (removal, or
> non-inclusion,  or "not-yet-included-until-proven-useful") headers
> attribute: in areas  where potential impact on accessibility has been
> identified by a group  member, further advice should probably be
> sought from WAI and the PFWG,  as per charter (see email below from
> Judy Brewer).

The HTML 5 working group is indeed questioning the usefulness of
marking up id/headers in complex tables. In fact the headers attribute
is not currently in the HTML 5 specification.

Advice from WAI and the PFWG on the potential accessibility impact of
the absence of the headers attribute for HTML 5 would be appreciated.

The following are related HTML 5 public-html and www-html
posts/threads by HTML 5 working group members:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2007May/0012.html
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-html/2007May/0426.html
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2007May/1032.html
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2007May/1036.html
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2007May/1069.html

Related Working Group member blog posts:

Bruce Lawson:
http://www.brucelawson.co.uk/index.php/2007/html5-microformats-accessibility-testing/

Roger Johansson:
http://www.456bereastreet.com/archive/200705/help_keep_accessibility_and_semantics_in_html/

Thank you,
Laura

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: WAI mandate to work with other WGs?
> Date: Thu, 24 May 2007 00:49:53 -0400
> From: Judy Brewer <jbrewer@w3.org>
> To: Patrick H. Lauke <redux@splintered.co.uk>
> CC: WAI Interest Group <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>, Al Gilman
> <alfred.s.gilman@ieee.org>, Michael Cooper <cooper@w3.org>
>
> Patrick,
>
> Here is additional information on your question about what role WAI
> has in working with other W3C Working Groups to ensure the
> accessibility of W3C specifications currently under development.
>
> WAI's Protocols and Formats Working Group (PFWG) has, as part of its
> mission, reviewing specifications under development in other W3C
> Working Groups in to ensure consideration of accessibility-related
> needs. PFWG's home page is at
>          http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/
> Its charter, describing its scope of work is available
>          http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/charter200612
> and there is a page describing participation
>          http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/participation.html
>
> For the purpose you describe, participation on the wai-xtech list
> (see the PFWG participation page above) would be a good place to
> discuss accessibility issues that you are tracking in the HTML
> Working Group. Because of the volume of work that PFWG needs to
> monitor, it is helpful to have people on wai-xtech monitoring the
> HTML WG traffic, and catching issues that need discussion.
>
> In addition, the HTML WG has requirements in their charter to work
> with WAI, and
> PFWG in particular:
>          http://www.w3.org/2007/03/HTML-WG-charter.html#coordination
>
> I've copying Al Gilman, Chair of PFWG; and Michael Cooper, Staff
> Contact for PFWG; so that you can also be in touch with them as
> needed.
>
> Regards,
>
> - Judy
>
>
> --
> Patrick H. Lauke
___________________________________________
Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/webdesign/

Received on Sunday, 27 May 2007 23:07:41 UTC