New Guidelines available for discussion.

To the GL Working Group,

The latest guidelines and checklist are available for review

Per discussion at the Austin, Texas, WAI meeting,  there are 5 + 1 levels
to the guidelines

1)  short one or two page intros for managers and other target groups.
2)  an overview of people with different disabilities,  the assistive
technologies they use,  and the problems they encounter when using the web.
3)  Checklists  ( 1- for web authors,  2 - for browser manufacturers,  3 -
for toolmakers,  4 - Screen reader manufacturers).
4)  Guidelines ( 1- for web authors,  2 - for browser manufacturers,  3 -
for toolmakers,  4 - Screen reader manufacturers).
5)  The Master Guidelines Document which includes in depth information on
the problems and recommendations for web authors, browser manufacturers,
toolmakers, and Screen reader manufacturers in one master integrated document.

+) Plus a resource site for materials, examples, case studies etc in 
support of web access.

The status at this point is:

1) We have a good 2nd draft of the checklist for Authors and the Guidelines
for Authors.

2) We have a first draft of the Master Guidelines but it is not up to date
yet on the Page author information and has only minimal entries for
browser, toolmaker and screen reader makers.  The browser and tools
recommendations, guidelines and checklists will come primarily from those
respective working groups.

Our group is of course responsible for the Web Author guidelines and
checklist.
We are also compiling the Master guidelines.

The latest copies of the Author Guidelines and Checklist are at

http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/html_guidelines/htmlgide.htm

Please look them over.

We will be posting unresolved issues that we know of to the web starting
next week to start discussions.  Feel free to make suggestions or start
threads yourselves as well.

A couple final notes:

1)  we were able to get the ratings down to a two level rating system.
"required" and "recommended".  Look them over.

2)  We have used style sheets and otherwise tried to follow all the
guidelines in putting the guidelines doc together.  It has been
interesting.  For one thing, we have found that it is hard to use style
sheets today and have any predictable results with today's browsers.  Even
with the same browsers and printers different people seem to get different
results when printing.

3)  After the GL group has gone over them and made suggestions we will post
them generally.  The GL group can then proceed to work on the stickier
issues needed to refine and complete the guidelines.

4)   Per Daniel's comments, these remain listed as Unified Web Access
Guidelines compiled for WAI WG until such time as they finally pass muster
and are adopted by the WAI.  They will then change to WAI/W3C guidelines.

Looking forward to your comments.

Have fun.

Gregg,  Co-Chair and Editor
Wendy, Co-Editor
Chuck, Chair

----
Starling Access Services
 "Access A World Of Possibility"
  e-mail: info@starlingweb.com
   URL: http://www.starlingweb.com
    Phone: 613-820-2272  FAX: 613-820-6983

Received on Sunday, 7 December 1997 19:33:49 UTC