- From: Gregory J. Rosmaita <oedipus@hicom.net>
- Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 22:19:32 +0000
- To: Doug Schepers <schepers@w3.org>
- Cc: SVG IG List <public-svg-ig@w3.org>, janina@rednote.net, www-archive@w3.org
doug wrote: > But you didn't need to pull out the umbrageous WCAG 2.0 stick to > beat me with... simply pointing out that it wasn't accessible > would have sufficed. Never attribute to malice that which is > adequately explained by stupidity (or ignorance). We're all > overstretched, and sometimes we make mistakes. i'm not sure i understand why citing WCAG 2.0 is "unfair" or "hitting below the belt" -- WCAG compliance SHOULD, nay MUST (and that is an RFC2119 MUST), be part of the W3C's default publication rules and built-into the process of producing w3c documents and collaborative tools -- i commented on the recent proposed changes to the default w3c style sheet, but even if every one of my suggestions as regards w3c publication rules and accessibility are concerned are implemented, they won't really help anyone unless there is an accompanying "About This Document" section that describes in full what the stylistic conventions are -- for example, it is impossible for me to search for "red" text because i don't have any reason to believe that the text is anything particular color, but if i am pre-informed of the stylistic conventions, i can then set my assistive technology to notify me when it encounters the use of specific stylistic changes used to the modification status of a document... i was able to communicate this to the maintainer of the w3c diff-marking tool, so that semantically meaningful elements, such as INS and DEL are used rather than simply by attaching style rules through use of the generic SPAN element -- the communication of meaning through presentational means alone, using SPAN to mark both deletions and insertions, rather than more specific, more appropriate markup was a clear violation of WCAG 1.0 and 2.0, but why, in 2008, should it still be necessary to point such basic elements of interoperability and accessibility to W3C staff? separation of content from presentation is a fundamental principle of web standards and a building block for accessibility and internationalization, amongst others, but the use of CSS' visual pallette alone to reflect meaning is not much of an advance over using FONT in an attempt to hard-code one's stylistic presentation in order to convey a specific meaning... i wasn't attempting to "shame" you into action or throw mud in your eye by citing WCAG -- there was no accusation of malice-afore-thought, and THAT, it strikes me, is precisely the point which needed to be made -- if accessibility and device independence are NOT considered before a tool or publication rules are deployed, then the WAI and the W3C have failed in a crucial part of its mission -- to make the web usable by everyone, everywhere, no matter what modality they are using to interact with the web... i don't think it unreasonable to expect a standards setting organization to follow the guidelines it produces, one of which happens to be WCAG... yes, we are all over-committed and all make mistakes, but device independence and accessibility should ALWAYS be taken into consideration BEFORE a tool or publication rule is implemented -- it should be second nature to anyone working within the W3C to follow WCAG as closely as they would any other W3C technical report -- the W3C frowns on releasing materials that will not validate on its own validator, so why should there be a different standard when it comes to WCAG compliance? i'm not asking these questions to be a self-righteous jerk, but because they are fundamental principles of web standards, and if device independence and accessibility is NOT considered when deploying tools or setting publication rules, then the W3C has learned very little from the hard work that has been conducted, and continues to be conducted, inside and outside of the Web Accessibility Initiative to make accessibility and device independence as important to authors and tool developers as is the holly grail of "validity"... 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 Friday, 6 March 2009 22:21:27 UTC