Techniques for Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0

ATAG Checkpoint 2.1: Use the latest versions of W3C Recommendations when they are available and appropriate for a task. [Priority 2]

Techniques:

• When creating documents or markup languages, make full use of W3C Recommendations (see WCAG10 11.1). For example, use MathML for mathematical Web content and XHTML, MathML, and DOM scripting to implement dynamic-interactive spreadsheets.
• In some cases a W3C Recommendation formatted version may be offered in addition to a proprietary format. Tools that dynamically generate Web content may use HTTP content negotiation to facilitate this.
• Do not publish Web content in markup languages that do not allow for equivalent alternative information to be included for media-specific presentations (such as images or video, sound, etc.). Where this cannot be avoided, make the information directly available from the content generated. For example, convert the text equivalent of an image to a caption for the image, or provide a "base" page that includes links to alternative versions of content.
• Although markup languages and formats that become W3C Recommendations after an authoring tool's development cycle permit input are not considered "available" in time, modular design of tools provides for new markup languages and formats to be supported late in the development cycle or even after deployment..

Reference:

• W3C maintains a Technical Reports and Publications page.
• Language specific accessibility notes: CSS, SMIL, HTML4, SVG, XML languages.

ATAG Checkpoint 2.2: Ensure that the tool automatically generates valid markup. [Priority 1]

Techniques:

• Ensure that the markup produced by the tool, in any of its supported languages, is valid.
• Publish proprietary language specifications or DTD's on the Web, to allow documents to be validated.
• Use namespaces and schemas to make documents that can be automatically transformed to a known markup language.

Reference:

• Many validation tools are available. For example, W3C HTML Validation Service.

ATAG Checkpoint 2.3: If markup produced by the tool does not conform to W3C specifications, inform the author. [Priority 3]

Techniques:

• To minimally meet this checkpoint, a tool must inform the author that the markup produced does not conform to W3C specifications (e.g. statement on the saving dialog, an alert that is displayed following a save or inline highlighting through the use of style sheets, etc.).
• If the tool produces inaccessible markup, whether it is valid or not, see ATAG10 4.1 for checking techniques.

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