Guideline 2: Generate standard markup.
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. For example, use MathML for mathematical Web
content and XHTML, MathML, and DOM scripting to implement
dynamic-interactive spreadsheets. [T0082]
- 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. [T0084]
- Do not publish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. [T0083]
- 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. [T0085]
Reference:
ATAG
Checkpoint 2.2: Ensure that markup which the tool automatically generates
is valid for the language the tool is generating. [Priority 1]
Techniques:
- Ensure that
the markup produced by the tool, in any of its supported languages, is
valid. [T0086]
- Publish
proprietary language specifications or DTD's on the Web, to allow
documents to be validated. [T0087]
- Use namespaces and
schemas to make documents that can be automatically transformed to a
known markup language. [T0088]
- If markup produced
by the tool does not conform to W3C specifications, inform the author.
(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.). [T0089, T0090] @@New technique made from ATAG1 2.3@@
- If the tool
produces inaccessible markup, whether it is valid or not, see the
checking Techniques for
ATAG checkpoint 5.1. [T0091] @@New technique made from ATAG1 2.3@@
Guideline 3: Support accessible authoring practices.
Techniques:
- Ensure the tool
supports all the structural features of the supported languages. [T0001]
- Allow the author to directly edit the source
markup (so knowledgeable authors can ensure accessible content). [T0002]
- When an
extended (superset) or simplified (subset) markup language is supported,
ensure that the accessibility features in the base language are still
available. [T0003]
- Allow the addition of equivalent alternatives for
all supported image formats that allow text content, including PNG, SVG,
WebCGM, JPEG, and GIF. [T0004]
- Enable the author to produce metadata that can be used to construct an
accessible version of the output. For example, when producing image
formats that do not allow the inclusion of alternative information within
them, use Dublin Core metadata to incorporate description, title
information, or "foaf" metadata to identify people depicted in images.
[T????] @@CMN Proposal@@
- Notify the author, if a given output format is not accessible (so they
can decide to use a different format). [T????] @@CMN Proposal@@
Reference:
Techniques:
- This checkpoint covers systems that digest
documents and reconstitute them in standardized formats. [T????] @@F2F Proposal@@
-
Ensure that the tool preserves all the elements and attributes defined in
the relevant specification(s) even if it is unable to render them in a
publishing view or preview mode. [T0005]
-
Allow the
author to decide whether or not to preserve unrecognized markup (since it
might be related to accessibility). [T0006] @@from ATAG1
4.3@@
-
If changes to
markup that is not recognized by the tool are necessary for the tool to
further process the document (for example, a tool that requires valid
markup when a document is opened), inform the author. [T0203] @@from ATAG1
4.3@@
-
Provide options
for the author to confirm or override removal of markup on a
change-by-change basis or as a batch process. [T0204] @@from ATAG1
4.3@@
-
Do not change
the DTD without notifying the author. [T0206] @@from ATAG1
4.3@@
- Consider explaining automatic changes made by the tool to the author.
[T????] @@F2F Proposal@@
- Allow authors to edit document conversion
templates to specify the way presentation conventions should be converted
into structural markup. [T0008]
- Ensure that changes to a document's graphical
layout do not reduce readability when rendered serially. For example,
confirm the linearized reading order with the author. [T0012]
- Some examples of conversion best practices
include: @@Use of "conversion best practice"@@
- Avoid transforming text into images. Use style sheets for
presentation control, or use an XML application such as Scalable
Vector Graphics [SVG] that keeps the text as
text. If this is not possible, ensure that the text is available as
equivalent text for the image. [T0010]
- When importing images with associated descriptions into a markup
document, make the descriptions available through appropriate markup.
[T0009]
- When transforming a table to a list or list of lists, ensure that
table headings are transformed into headings and that summary or
caption information is retained as rendered content. [T0007]
- When converting linked elements (i.e. footnotes, endnotes,
call-outs, annotations, references, etc.) provide them as inline
content or maintain two-way linking. [T0013]
- When converting from an unstructured word-processor format to
markup, ensure that headings and list items are transformed into
appropriate structural markup (appropriate level of heading or type
of list, etc.). [T0011]
- When generating a natural language translation of text, produce the
simplest and clearest possible use of the new language. [T????] @@CMN Proposal-LN
believes this needs more clarification@@
ATAG
Checkpoint 3.3: Ensure that when the tool automatically generates markup
it conforms to the W3C's
WCAG. [Relative Priority]
Techniques:
- Ensure that
when the tool automatically generates content and markup @@Does this cover content other than tagging?@@
(e.g. the author has not specifically specified the markup to be used),
that markup conforms to the following WCAG checkpoints. (Note: An asterix
(*) denotes those WCAG checkpoints that involve the inclusion of
equivalent alternative information. For these WCAG checkpoints, see the
Techniques for ATAG checkpoint
4.3 for restrictions on automatically generating equivalent
alternatives and the Techniques for ATAG
checkpoint 4.1 for prompting guidance) [T0014]:
- List of Relevant WCAG checkpoints.@@WCAG 1.0 list hidden@@
ATAG
Checkpoint 3.4 : Ensure that all pre-authored content for the tool
conforms to WCAG. [Relative Priority]
Note: Pre-authored content refers to markup content,
images, multimedia, applets, scripts, etc. Including pre-written descriptions
for all multimedia files (e.g., clip-art) packaged with the tool will save
authors time and effort, cause a significant number of professionally written
descriptions to circulate on the Web, provide authors with convenient models
to emulate when they write their own descriptions, and show authors the
importance of description writing.
Techniques:
- For tools that allow authors to create their own
templates, advise the author that templates should be held to a high
accessibility standard, since they will be repeatedly reused. Help the
author reach this goal by making an accessibility check mandatory before
saving as a template. [T0080]
- Provide
pre-authored content in formats that allow for accessible annotation to
be included in the files, such as SMIL, PNG, and SVG. [T????]
- Ensure that all pre-authored content provided by
the tool conform to the following WCAG checkpoints [T0081]:
- List of Relevant WCAG checkpoints.@@WCAG 1.0 list hidden@@
Samples:
- The following are examples of accessible templates (Note: not all the
features of these templates are supported by all browsers):
ATAG Checkpoint
3.5 : Allow the author to preserve markup not recognized by the tool.
[Priority 2]
Note: The author may have included or imported markup
that enhances accessibility but is not recognized by the tool.
Techniques:
- If possible,
preserve all unrecognized markup, since it might be related to
accessibility (See Techniques for
ATAG Checkpoint 3.2). [T0202]
- If changes to
markup that is not recognized by the tool are necessary for the tool to
further process the document (for example, a tool that requires valid
markup when a document is opened), inform the author. [T0203]
- Provide
options for the author to confirm or override removal of markup on a
change-by-change basis or as a batch process. [T0204]
- Do not change
the DTD without notifying the author.[T0206]
Contents | Tier 1 |
Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 |
Appendix A: Prompting | Glossary | References