11 Feb 2004 - Techniques Task Force of the WCAG WG Teleconference Minutes

IRC log

Present

Jenae Andershonis, Don Evans, Dave MacDonald, Chris Ridpath, Wendy Chisholm, Ben Caldwell, Lisa Seeman

Regrets

Michael Cooper, Roberto Scano, David Donovan

Action Items

Data and layout tables

[html-techs] Table Type - Chris Ridpath

bugzilla issue 248

proposal: don't make the distinction between data and layout. if cell meaning changes when the cell stands on its own, mark headers. in other words, there are some tables that require headers and some that don't.

discussion

resolution: create specific techniques/examples to help clarify gray area

action: chris look for real-world examples that use structural markup in tables and other examples that blur line between data and layout. refer to Joe's list of real-world table examples

RDF Techniques

[Tech] RDF Techniques - First attempt - Lisa Seeman

Open issues for RDF Techniques

Questions from Lisa's email that we discussed:

  1. General structure of the document: do we like the way topics are broken up or do we prefer a guideline by guideline approach?
  2. Are people happy The top level categories Are there more categories that we would like to add, is the intro to RDF about the amount of detail that we would like to see
  3. How much detail should we include in the document? Should we assume that people understand the techniques gateway before reading RDF Techniques? Do we assume that the reader understands RDF or not?
  4. did not discuss: (too early in process perhaps) Developing Techniques for this document

    -for marking page structure -do we want to do that - for interactivity elements -do we want to do that

  5. Writing clearly and providing clear test section shows potential of RDF.
  6. Should we be making a task force or group to make a WAI Ontology

Since the xml source of the techniques documents will link a technique to a specific success criterion or guideline, we should be able to generate techniques documents either by technology features (element, objects) or by guidelines and success criteria. Therefore, the current order of the RDF techniques is ok since we can generate a different order in the future. Unable to give feedback about the break-down of topics and categories until we are further along, but it's a good start.

Sections 2.1 and 2.2 feel more introductory and could be developed into user scenarios rather than techniques. 3.1 could be broken up into 10 separate techniques rather than all examples for one technique.

action jenae: look at RDF TEchniques with testability in mind

We like the introductions to each major section and would like to develop in the other techniques documents.

Should we assume that people understand RDF? A paragraph about what RDF is, is useful. We don't expect to teach people RDF, but in the introduction, point them to resources to learn more. then return here to find out how to do accessibly

Are there things you can do in rdf that would make content inaccessible? Since you are describing relationships between things, probably nothing that would create accessibility barrier

4.2 - would like example that shows what to do for a business web site. this example seems limited to educational setting. Is it recommend that you annotate every word? Discussion about the various approaches to using concept codes. 4.2 is the WWAAC approach.

there are a couple of technologies and approaches to annotating. should we create a task force to make an ontology? not in scope for wcag wg charter wwaac more appropriate venue?

action: lisa and wendy talk more about process issues related to developing an ontology

General feeling: it is good to see the document taking shape.

next steps: Lisa will develop introduction, use cases

action: wendy send lisa markup suggestions

General Additions and Work Needed

bugzilla issue 732

anyone want to take an action to help create or find example? take screen shtos?

no takers during the call. (scribe note: once we have the form to collect techniques, expect that we will have more input from people)

Contributors

bugzilla issue 733

action: editors update "contributors" section of the CSS Techs draft

Use numbers, not names, for colors

bugzilla issue 734, related issue 739

[CSS-TECHS] numbers instead of names, proposal - Wendy Chisholm

orange is missing from the list of 16 css color names.

implmentations?

clarify that the technique does not say you have to limit yourself to using only these 16 colors, but that these might be the only color names that are implemented consistently.

what about web safe colors? these are about how many colors can monitor display (i.e., 256 or millions). as monitors get better, less of an issue.

interesting post from sean about using color names as an accessibility advantage because the user could give numerical values for how they want a color displayed (e.g., map "red" to #CC0000 - dark hard red if need red to be darker). however, this not widely implemented (if at all?).

need to document the accessibility issues with specifying color by uncommon names rather than hex or rgb value. research color names (e.g., 16 color names specified in css specs missing "orange" )

action: wendy propose technique for specifying color for css techs (issue 734)

Drop caps (text formatting and position)

bugzilla issue 735

action ben: research 735 - suggestions written based on older techs. newer better ways to do. research and propose technique.

Buttons with text labels example

bugzilla issue 736

action: Ben look for updated techniques on this (issue 736)

Typos

bugzilla issue 737

Ben fixed source during call.

closed

Numbering ordered lists (start values)

bugzilla issue 738

Need someone to research issues and developments since this was written.

Example of rules and borders

bugzilla issue 740

action: David update this example and look at current browser support for these properties (issue 740)


$Date: 2004/02/11 18:25:38 $ Wendy Chisholm