Re: [CSS21] Inaccessible Index a violation of WCAG/Proposed Repair Technique ignored [REPLY DRAFT 2.0]

the following is the latest iteration of PF's request that the index 
of CSS 2.1 be made WCAG-compliant -- for background, please consult:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/wai-xtech/2007Dec/0056.html
   and
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/wai-xtech/2007Dec/0096.html

---- BEGIN DRAFT RESPONSE (VERSION 2.0) -----
in response to Al's CR comments filed with www-style on the CR 
draft of CSS 2.1 pertaining to the inaccessibility of the CSS 2.1
index, which is archived at:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/2007Dec/0139.html

an issue (Issue #21) has been created at:

http://csswg.inkedblade.net/spec/css2.1#issue-21

however, the issue as logged with the "Resolution" being "assumed 
editorial", and the post which points to the CSS 2.1 issues list
does NOT include the proposed PF solution to the inaccessibility of 
the CSS 2.1 index:

<q 
cite="http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/2007Dec/0139.html">
A sufficient (and highly recommended) repair technique for this problem
can be found in the Techniques document for WCAG 2.0:

http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/C7.html
http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/WD-UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20-20071211/navigation-
mechanisms-refs.html

which details a repair technique which enables a user to contextualize
and fully understand the meaning and target of repetitive hyperlink
test.  The result would be individualized index items, rather than merely
a repetitious and uninformative listing of links by section/chapter
number ONLY, thus making it possible for the non-visual user to utilize
the index.  This repair technique also has the advantage of
individualizing each hyperlink when the document's hyperlinks are listed
in a list of links, or when one is aurally or tactilely experiencing the
index.
</q>

using the index from the CSS 2.1 PR draft, the repair would involve:

1) the following addition to the document's default stylesheet

a span { height: 1px; width: 1px; position: absolute; overflow: hidden; 
top: -10px; }

2) the following addition to the index markup:

<ul class="index">

<li class="tocline0">:active, <a href="selector.html#x35" 
class="index-def"><span>Definition of the dynamic pseudo-class :active 
in Section </span><strong>5</strong></a>

<li class="tocline0">:after, <a href="generate.html#x5" 
class="index-def"><span>Definition of  the :after pseudo-element in 
Section </span><strong>12</strong></a>, <a href="selector.html#x67" 
class="index-def"><span>Inserting generated content using the :after 
pseudo-element, Section <span><strong>5</strong></a>

in investigating this repair, i discovered a disconnect between the 
hyperlinked text (for example, 1 or 2) and the sections to which they 
actually point:

list item 1: why is the original hyperlink '2'?  the selector section is 
Section 5?

list item 2:  why is the first original hyperlink '1' when  the 
definition 
of the :after pseudo-element is in Section 12?  why is the second 
hyperlink text '2', when the pointer takes one to section 5?

this makes the index doublely confusing, as there is no explanation of
the conventions used in hyperlinking terms to the document
---- END DRAFT RESPONSE (VERSION 2.0) -----

gregory.
--------------------------------------------------------------
You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of
focus.                                           -- Mark Twain
--------------------------------------------------------------
Gregory J. Rosmaita: oedipus@hicom.net
   Camera Obscura: http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/
          Oedipus' Online Complex: http://my.opera.com/oedipus
--------------------------------------------------------------

Received on Wednesday, 16 January 2008 15:59:20 UTC