In order verify the utility and applicability of the Guidelines,
the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working
Group is testing the Guidelines by reviewing a variety of user
agents (both graphical desktop and dependent user agnets) on a variety
of platforms. This review will help us correct weak points of the
guidelines and fill in gaps where required. The review is not meant as
a definitive review of products although we anticipate sending our
findings and observations to developers.
This section describes the status of this document at the time
of its publication. Other documents may supersede this document. The
latest status of this document series is maintained at the W3C.
This is not a W3C Working Draft. The Guidelines document it refers
to is a W3C Working Draft, which means that it may change at any
time. This review is informative only and may not be used to rate or
compare product accessibility.
Please send comments about this document to the public mailing list:
w3c-wai-ua@w3.org.
This document has been produced as part of the Web Accessibility Initiative.
The goal of the WAI User Agent
Guidelines Working Group is discussed in the Working Group
charter.
A list of current W3C Recommendations and other technical documents
can be found at http://www.w3.org/TR.
Product/System information
- Browser: Netscape Navigator 4.6 (binary downloaded
from Netscape.
- OS: Linux version 2.2.5-15 (root@porky.devel.redhat.com)
(gcc version egcs-2.91.66 1
9990314/Linux (egcs-1.1.2 release)) #1 Mon Apr 19 22:21:09 EDT 1999
- Hardware: Pentium MMX, 96Mbytes RAM,
color graphical monitor, 2Mbytes VRAM, mouse, keyboard, sound card.
Most configuration happens in the default
configuration file, an X resource file
named /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/Netscape.
Priority 1 checkpoints
In General (Priority 1)
- 3.1 Ensure that the user has access to document content, including alternative representations of content.
- No, since attribute values not readily available and
no support for longdesc.
For HTML:
- Alt available as visual tool tip.
- Other attributes and elements unknown.
- 3.2 For dependent user agents only. Ensure that the user has access to the content of an element selected by the user.
- N/A
- 3.3 For dependent user agents only. Render content according to natural language identification. For unsupported natural languages, notify the user of language changes when configured to do so.
- N/A. If this checkpoint becomes for all user agents, there
is support for different character sets.
- 4.5 Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of audio captions.
- N/A
- 12.1 Provide a version of the product documentation that conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
- Probably not.
- 12.2 Ensure that all user agent functionalities that promote accessibility are documented.
- I visited the help
page for Netscape Communicator. There are no links to information
about accessibility. The keyboard "accessibility" turns up no
results in the knowledge database.
User Interface (Priority 1)
- 4.6 Allow the user to turn on and off animated or blinking text.
- Yes, through the defaults file:
*blinkingEnables: False
- 4.7 Allow the user to turn on and off animations and blinking images.
- Yes, through Preferences/Advanced: enable Java and Javascript.
Also, possible to turn off images.
- 4.9 Allow the user to turn on and off support for user style sheets.
- No.
- 4.10 Allow the user to turn on and off support for author style sheets.
-
Yes, through Preferences/Advanced: style sheets.
- 4.11 Allow the user to turn on and off support for spawned windows.
- Yes, partially. In the defaults file,
the *dontForceWindowStacking resource allows one to suppress some
automatic window stacking caused by JavaScript window.open().
- 5.1 Allow the user to control font family.
-
Yes. Possible through:
- Style sheets
- Preferences/Appearance/Fonts
- 5.2 Allow the user to control the size of text.
-
Yes. Possible through:
- Style sheets
- Preferences/Appearance/Fonts
- 5.3 Allow the user to control foreground color.
-
Yes. Possible through:
- Style sheets
- Preferences/Appearance/Fonts
- For text, the defaults file: *defaultForeground.
- 5.4 Allow the user to control background color.
-
Yes. Possible through:
- Style sheets
- Preferences/Appearance/Fonts
- For text, the defaults file: *defaultBackground.
- 5.5 Allow the user to control selection highlighting (e.g., foreground and background color).
-
Yes. Possible through in the
defaults file: *selectForeground and
*selectBackground.
- 5.6 Allow the user to control focus highlighting (e.g., foreground and background color).
-
No. I don't know whether there's a notion of focus.
- 5.14 Allow the user to control speech playback rate.
-
N/A
- 8.1 Allow the user to navigate viewports (including frames).
-
Yes: View/Page Source for frames in a single window.
Navigation possible with the mouse. Navigation of history possible
with a history window, a pulldown menu, and arrow icons (also possible
with keyboard). Navigation of windows is done through the window
manager (Alt-tab in my configuration).
Note. I don't know how to tab-navigate in NN on
Linux.
It works on my Windows 95 machine, however.
- 8.2 For user agents that offer a browsing history mechanism, when the user returns to a previous view, restore the point of regard in the viewport.
-
Sometimes and somewhat. I haven't quite figured out how it works. The selection
in many cases is approximately returned to the previous place.
- 9.1 Provide a mechanism for highlighting and identifying (through a standard interface where available) the current viewport, selection, and focus.
-
Yes for visual:
- Selection highlighted visually through colors
- Viewport highlighted visually with a black outline.
- Focus N/A.
Keyboard Support (Priority 1)
- 2.1 By default and without additional customization, ensure that all functionalities offered by the user agent are accessible using the keyboard.
-
Don't know without the software specifications. This is a general
issue with these checkpoints: to answer some of them you have to
be a developer or have access to the information a developer has.
- 2.2 Provide documentation on default keyboard commands and include with user agent documentation and/or user help system.
-
Bindings available in the default configuration file.
Does this count as documentation? No GUI to change them.
- 2.3 Provide information to the user about the current keyboard configuration.
-
No.
Device Independence (Priority 1)
- 1.1 Ensure that all functionalities offered through the user interface may be operated through standard input device APIs supported by the operating system.
-
No way to know without developer input or documentation.
- 1.2 Ensure that the user can interact with all active elements of a document in a device independent manner.
-
- I don't know how to tab-navigate to links or form controls.
However, it works on my Windows 95 machine.
- I don't know whether keyboard access to elements with event
handlers is possible
- I don't know how accesskey is made available in HTML.
- 1.3 Ensure that the user can install the user agent software in a device independent manner.
-
Yes. It's possible to install NN as an rpm, which I did entirely
with the keyboard.
- 1.4 Ensure that the user can configure the user agent in a device independent manner.
-
Yes. You can edit the
default configuration file in a text editor.
I dont' know whether all functionalities may be configured there,
however.
- 1.5 Ensure that the user can access user agent documentation in a device independent manner.
-
Yes. The Help pages are HTML pages.
- 1.6 Ensure that all messages to the user (e.g., warnings, errors, etc.) are available through standard output device APIs supported by the operating system.
-
No. To be sure, I would need to talk to a developer.
For Tables (Priority 1)
- 8.3 For dependent user agents only. Allow the user to navigate just among table cells of a table (notably left and right within a row and up and down within a column).
-
N/A
- 9.8 For dependent user agents only. Provide access to header information for a selected table cell.
-
N/A
For Images, Animations, and Image Maps (Priority 1)
- 4.1 Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of images.
- Yes.
- 4.2 Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of background images.
-
Yes. Possible through:
For Synchronized Multimedia (Priority 1)
- 3.4 Provide time-independent access to time-dependent active elements or allow the user to control the timing of changes.
-
N/A
- 3.7 Allow the user to specify that description tracks (e.g., caption, auditory description, video of sign language, etc.) be rendered at the same time as audio and video tracks.
-
N/A
- 3.8 If a technology allows for more than one description track (e.g., caption, auditory description, video of sign language, etc.), allow the user to choose from among the tracks.
-
N/A
- 3.9 If a technology allows for more than one audio track, allow the user to choose from among tracks.
-
N/A
- 4.3 Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of video.
-
N/A
- 4.4 Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of sound.
-
N/A
- 5.8 Allow the user to control video frame rates.
-
N/A
- 5.9 Allow the user to control the position of audio captions.
-
N/A
- 5.11 Allow the user to control audio playback rate.
-
N/A
For Events, Applets, and Scripts (Priority 1)
- 4.8 Allow the user to turn on and off support for scripts and applets.
-
Yes. Through Preferences/Advanced.
- 10.1 Provide information about document and viewport changes (to users and through programming interfaces).
-
No. I would have to check with developers for details.
For Standards and Conventions (Priority 1)
- 6.1 Use and provide accessible interfaces to other technologies.
-
Don't know. I would have to check with developers for details.
- 6.2 Provide programmatic read and write access to user agent functionalities and user interface controls (including selection and focus) by using operating system and development language accessibility resources and conventions.
-
Don't know. I would have to check with developers for details.
- 6.3 Notify dependent user agents of changes to the document and user interface controls (including selection and focus) by using operating system and development language accessibility resources and conventions.
-
Don't know. I would have to check with developers for details.
- 6.4 For graphical desktop browsers only. Comply with W3C Document Object Model specifications and export interfaces defined by those specifications.
-
No.
- 7.1 Implement the accessibility features defined for supported specifications.
-
Don't know. I would have to check with developers for details.
Priority 2 checkpoints
In General (Priority 2)
- 3.5 When no alternative text representation has been specified, indicate what type of object is present.
-
No.
- 8.4 Allow the user to navigate just among all active elements in the document.
-
Yes (if tabbing navigation works with NN on Linux).
- 8.5 Allow the user to search for rendered text content, including alternative text content.
-
Partly. Not possible to search for alternative content.
- 8.6 Allow the user to navigate the document structure.
-
Only a little. View/Source gives some access to document structure, but
not headers, etc.
- 9.4 Describe a selected element's context within a document (e.g., numerical or relative position).
-
No.
- 12.3 Describe product features known to promote accessibility in a section of the product documentation.
-
No.
User Interface (Priority 2)
- 5.15 Allow the user to control speech volume, pitch, gender and other articulation characteristics.
-
N/A
- 9.3 For dependent user agents only. Allow the user to view a document outline constructed from its structural elements (e.g., from header and list elements).
-
N/A. If it were applicable to NN, NN doesn't do it.
- 10.2 Ensure that when the selection or focus changes, it is in the viewport after the change.
-
I don't know since I can't change the selection except through the
mouse. I didn't test changes by script (I don't know whether scripts
have access to the selection).
- 11.1 Allow the user to configure the user agent in named profiles that may be shared (by other users or software).
-
Yes. Since configuration is done through XResources, users can
specify their own resources.
Keyboard Support (Priority 2)
- 2.4 Allow the user to configure the keystrokes used to activate user agent functionalities. Wherever possible, allow single key activation of functions.
-
Yes. Translations in the defaults file.
- 2.5 Allow the user to turn on and off author-specified keyboard configurations.
-
I don't know since I don't know whether author-specified keyboard
configurations are supported.
- 2.6 Use platform conventions to indicate which keys activate which user agent functionalities.
-
N/A. I don't know of any platform conventions. However, bindings
are shown as letters in pulldown menus.
- 2.7 Avoid default keyboard configurations that interfere with system conventions.
-
N/A since no platform conventions.
For Links (Priority 2)
- 9.5 For a selected link, indicate whether following the link will involve a fee.
-
No.
For Frames (Priority 2)
- 4.12 Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of frames.
-
No.
- 5.16 When new windows or user interface components are spawned, allow the user to control window size and position.
-
No.
- 9.2 For dependent user agents only. Provide the user with information about the number of viewports.
-
N/A. If this were to apply, NN would not provide info about number
but would about presence of frames.
For Forms (Priority 2)
- 9.10 Provide the user with access to any label explicitly associated with a form control.
-
No. No special access is provided.
- 10.6 Prompt the user to confirm any form submission not explicitly initiated by the user.
-
No. At least I don't think so but I would need to confirm with
a developer.
For Images, Animations, and Image Maps (Priority 2)
- 5.7 Allow the user to control animation rate.
-
N/A
For Synchronized Multimedia (Priority 2)
- 5.10 Allow the user to start, stop, pause, and rewind video.
-
N/A
- 5.12 When the user agent renders audio natively, allow the user to control the audio volume.
-
N/A
- 5.13 Allow the user to start, stop, pause, and rewind audio.
-
N/A
For Standards and Conventions (Priority 2)
- 6.5 For graphical desktop browsers only. Provide programmatic exchange of information in a timely manner.
-
I don't know. Need to verify with a developer.
- 6.6 Follow operating system conventions and accessibility settings. In particular, follow conventions for user interface design, default keyboard configuration, product installation, and documentation.
-
Yes. At least my RPM installation was standard. As for UI design, that
applies less in the Unix environment.
- 7.2 Support appropriate W3C Recommendations.
-
- HTML 3.2: Don't know.
- HTML 4.0: No.
- CSS1: No.
- CSS2: No.
- DOM 1: No.
Priority 3 checkpoints
In General (Priority 3)
- 3.6 When alternative text has been specified explicitly as empty (i.e., an empty string), render nothing.
- 8.7 Allow the user to configure structured navigation.
- 9.7 Provide a mechanism for highlighting and identifying (through a standard interface where available) active elements of a document.
- 10.4 When loading a resource (e.g., document, video clip, audio clip, etc.) indicate what portion of the resource has loaded and whether loading has stalled.
-
Yes. Indicates visually in status bar at bottom of browser the
percentage of a page loaded, the amount
loaded, and whether loading has stalled or terminated. I don't know
whether this information is made available through an interface.
- 10.5 Indicate the relative position of the viewport in a resource (e.g., the percentage of the document that has been viewed, the percentage of an audio clip that has been played, etc.).
-
Yes, in status bar. (Visual only?)
User Interface (Priority 3)
- 4.13 Allow the user to turn on and off author-specified page forwards that occur after a time delay and without user intervention.
-
No.
- 4.14 Allow the user to turn on and off automatic page refresh.
-
No.
- 9.11 Maintain consistent user agent behavior and default configurations between software releases. Consistency is less important than accessibility and adoption of system conventions.
-
Yes. I've installed a number of releases and the config files
have been consistent.
- 11.2 Allow the user to configure the graphical arrangement of user interface controls.
- Yes. It's possible to:
Keyboard Support (Priority 3)
- 2.8 Provide a default keyboard configuration for frequently performed operations.
-
Yes.
For Links (Priority 3)
- 9.6 For a selected link, provide information to help the user decide whether to follow the link.
-
- Visited/Unvisited: colors controllable through style sheets or
*vlinkForeground in the defaults file.
Also under Preferences/Appearence/Colors. From there you can
also enable/disable underlining.
For Tables (Priority 3)
- 9.9 For dependent user agents only. Indicate the row and column dimensions of a selected table.
-
N/A. If it were applicable, then No.
For Events, Applets, and Scripts (Priority 3)
- 10.3 Allow the user to selectively turn on and off notification of common types of document and viewport changes.
-
No.