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Change history for User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 1.0

This page is for maintaining a record of changes between each revision of the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, produced by the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (UAWG). If you find the list is incomplete or inaccurate please send email to the Working Group at w3c-wai-ua@w3.org.

Last modified: $Date: 2003/01/21 14:18:34 $

Table of Contents

• 2002: 17 December 2002, 16 October 2002, 3 October 2002, 21 August 2002, 9 August 2002, 7 August 2002, 28 July 2002, 8 July 2002
• 2001: 12 September 2001, 31 August 2001, 31 July 2001, 14 July 2001, 22 June 2001, 4 June 2001, 25 May 2001, 11 Apr 2001, 9 Apr 2001 (last call), 4 Apr 2001, 31 Mar 2001, 23 Mar 2001, 19 Mar 2001, 9 Mar 2001, 24 Feb 2001, 26 Jan 2001, 16 Jan 2001, 13 Jan 2001
• 2000: 29 Dec 2000, 23 Oct 2000, 29 Sep 2000, 1 Sep 2000, 18 Aug 2000, 28 Jul 2000, 7 Jul 2000, 10 Jun 2000, 7 May 2000, 10 Mar 2000, 8 Mar 2000, 26 Jan 2000, Summary of first last call changes, 21 Jan 2000 15 Jan 2000
• 1999: 20 Dec 1999, 6 Dec 1999, 21 Nov 1999, 5 Nov 1999, 29 Oct 1999, 22 Oct 1999, 5 Oct 1999, 4 Oct 1999, 27 Aug 1999, 11 Aug 1999, 9 Aug 1999, 16 Jul 1999, 9 Jul 1999, 11 Jun 1999, 31 Mar 1999, 9 Mar 1999, 10 Feb 1999
• 1998: 19 Oct 1998, 14 Aug 1998, 7 Jul 1998, 3 Jun 1998, 2 Jun 1998, 21 May 1998

Version REC-UAAG10-20021217 and NOTE-UAAG10-TECHS-20021217

This is a W3C Recommendation.

This version includes some editorial clarifications from the Proposed Recommendation.

Version PR-UAAG10-20021016 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20021016

This is a Proposed Recommendation.

General

• Removed alternative formats (PS, PDF, text). There have been problems in the past with the PDF, and the only real advantage over printing from one's one browser is that the table of contents used page number references. Henceforth:
  • Information about alternative formats will be available in the FAQ.
  • The text version will be available with ",text".
  • There will be suggestions for how to create other versions

Checkpoints

• 3.5: Clarifications to semantics of http-refresh based on Steven Pemberton comments

Conformance

• Based on a suggestion from Karl DuBost, changed "abbr" to "acronym" in conformance example since acronym more widely implemented.

Version WD-UAAG10-20021003 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20021003

This draft incorporates fourth last call reviews. It does not differ substantially from the last call draft. Minor editorial fixes are not listed here.

Introduction

• Added XForms to list of formats.
• Added note that UAWG will follow development of other WAI Guidelines, and that v 1.0 of other Guidelines will remain available.
• Added info about expected liaison with MMI Activity.

Guidelines

Checkpoints

• 1.2: Fix bug in cross reference (to 1.1, not 1.3), per issue 547.
• 2.2: Per issue 549, moved reqs on text formats to normative inclusion, and put back XML/SGMl requirements based on proposal to clarify XML text req.
• 2.10: Per issue 552, Narrow scope of 2.10 to graphical UAs, text-to-visual rendering. Made changes to provision, inclusion, and Note. Changed title.
• 3.3: Per issue 548, Added normative inclusion to checkpoint 3.3: User control of blinking effects caused by rapid color changes is addressed by checkpoint 4.3.
• Per issue 550, clarified text of third normative inclusion and merged with second. Moved advice to authors to Note in techs doc. Edited Note after checkpoint for clarity.
• 4.2: Per comments from Martin Duerst, changed 'may' to 'should' in sufficient technique.
• 6.1, 6.3, 6.5, 6.6: Per issue 545, incorporated proposal to fix DOM checkpoints to talk about state and value changes, not content changes.
• 11.4: Per issue 551, tightened definition of single-key mode: "The user agent may satisfy the requirements of provision two of this checkpoint with a "single-key mode". In a single-key mode, the complete set of functionalities required by provision two must be available through single-key bindings. The user must be able to remain in single-key mode until explicitly requesting to leave it."

Techniques

• 2.2: Added to doing more info about file: URI scheme and recognizing text formats in the absence of Internet media type metadata.
• 2.10: Added note to techs that same idea applies to text-to-speech and text-to-braille, but no experience. Also, fixed Techs based on comments froM MD (HTTP content-encoding deleted), deleted part about internal character coding not expressed.
• 3.4: Per issue 546, Added info about independent switches for scripts, and decoupling script configs from other features.
• 4.2: Added technique for 4.2 doing more: per-script family config.
• 5.5: Added XForms techniques.

Version WD-UAAG10-20020821 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20020821

This is the fourth last call draft of UAAG 1.0 (and accompanying Techniques document).

• Checkpoint 10.6: Scope of configuration requirement clarified. Configuration not required for highlighting of viewport, but rather for styles used to highlight (when based on text).
• Some clarifications based on comments from Judy Brewer:
  • Add "neurological" to list of disabilities covered (abstract)
  • Clarified limitation of document regarding digital rights management (moved note from conformance section to 1.3)
  • Chapter 2 intro. Put "checkpoint provisions" in strong.
  • 2.6: "didactic". awkward phrase deleted.
  • Add sentence to section 1.1 to say that WCAG 2.0 and ATAG 2.0 are in development and that the UAWG expects to follow those developments. Say that UAAG 1.0 will refer to the stable 1.0 documents (which will remain available).
• Per request from Webmaster, use "WD" stylesheet instead of base style sheet in compound document components, summary, and checklists. Also, updated status sections to indicate more clearly status of appendices in separate files. Also, added more anchors for headings to conform to pubrules.
• Improved numbering of subsections (in Chapters 1 and 3 notably).

Version WD-UAAG10-20020809

This draft includes a modified checkpoint 6.4, per a resolution of the 8 August 2002 UAWG teleconference. This document is essentially the document that will go to last call.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20020807 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20020807

General

This draft of UAAG 1.0 primarily revises the sections on conformance and the introduction. This draft of Techniques for UAAG 1.0 is based on a review by Eric Hansen.

Introduction

• In 1.2, create subsections. Moved some information about use of OE features to this section since it added no normative information. Left part about multiple operating environments as a global sufficient technique in section on conformance
• Moved security conditions to 1.5, sice it didn't add normative information either; it states that no exemptions are permitted, but that would be true if not stated at all. This is better up front than buried in chapter 3. Some clarifications to this material.
• Added to target UA description oe features and plug-ins. Removed from well-formed claim definition to simplify.

Checkpoints

• 6.5: Now explicitly references content focus, ui focus, and selection. This was part of 6.6 and should have been part of 6.5 as well.

Conformance

• Clarification about absence of conformance profile labels. Absence must imply unsupported for the calculation that follows.
• Stated up front in 3.1 that a conformance profile is a list of assertions.
• Created first subsection of 3.1 on default set of conformance reqs. Added some global normative inclusions here, as well as config files as global sufficient technique. Consequently, the section "Requirements identified by a conformance profile" is much shorter.
• Moved section "Restricted functionality and valid claims" to just after validity of a claim.
• Moved well-formed claim example to end of that (short) section.
• Simplified for content/ua section per EH suggestion.
• Adjusted/reorganized sections on responsibility for claims: a Claim is an assertion; w3c does not assure validity.

Glossary

• User interface: Some edits based on Jon Gunderson comments.
• Serial access, sequential navigation: New terms introduced to harmonize usage in the document.

References

• Added XForms 1.0

Techniques

Too many edits to note here.

• Who benefits: Harmonized the style of language used in these sections.
• 4.6: Clarified that also for users with deafness.
• Some impact matrix tweaks based on comments from Judy Brewer.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20020728 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20020728

General

This version incorporates UAWG resolutions and editorial comments suggested for the 8 July draft. This is expected to be the final UAWG draft before returning to last call in August 2002. However, there are still some questions about whether checkpoint 6.4 needs to be made more specific.

This draft incorporates comments from Harvey Bingham and a substantial review by Eric Hansen. There are too many editorial changes to list separately.

Introduction

• 1.2 Target UAs: Moved some information about composite UAs here from section on conformance.
• 1.3 Limitations: Reformatted to be easier to read.
• 1.4: Relation to other stuff: Expanded this section to include relation to other specs, and moved some information from 1.5 to this section. Also, created a subsection on installation and moved some stray stuff from conformance chapter to this section.
• 1.5: Per suggestion from Eric Hansen, reduced scope of this section to discussion of user control. Moved section on benefits of accessibility here.

Guidelines

• Cleaned up and simplified (somewhat) explanation about structure of a checkpoint.
• Created a new section entitled "about the checkpoints" for general information about checkpoints. This section includes the priority definitions.
• The priority definitions were updated per 25 July teleconf

Checkpoints

I revisited all the checkpoints to ensure that were content is intended, the word appears in the checkpoint provision.

Some checkpoints are now identified as being mutually exclusive of others (and not "special cases"). For instance, checkpoint 1.2 may be excluded from a conformance profile, but 1.1 may not, so 1.1 must state that 1.2 is mutually exclusive.

Relationships among provisions that cross-reference one another are clearer (e.g., 9.7 extends functionalities required by 9.3).

• 2.5: Per 25 July teleconf, deleted prerecorded text part of this checkpoint.
• 3.1, 3.2, 3.6: Indicate that when content is toggled off, it is conditional content.
• 4.1: Per 11 July teleconf and subsequent discussion on the list (see email from Al Gilman). Clarified first bullet (use of "scale"), and added some normative inclusions. Deleted Note.
• 4.2, 4.3: Tweaked to look like 4.1 (with override option its own bullet).
• 4.6: Per 11 July teleconf, in second sufficient technique, deleted "so that the user may position them independently."
• 4.1: Clarified that this checkpoint is for BOTH content and UA.
• 11.5: Fixed to account for when no content focus present, per 25 July teleconf.
• 6.2: Added example of C++. Also, per 11 July teleconf, added a statement in normative exclusion that exporting out of process may be useful.
• 9.1: Added normative exclusion when no content focus in viewport, per 25 July teleconf.
• 9.3: Editorial tweaks to make it look like checkpoints in G5.
• 10.1: Per 11 July teleconf, Clarify 10.1 to read "For graphical user agents that render tables, for each table cell, allow the user to view associated header information.". Also, indicated sufficient techniques: query and rendering in same viewport.
• 10.2: Bug fix.
• 11.5: Clarified that content focus intended per 25 July teleconf.

Conformance

Major overhaul based on suggestion from Eric Hansen to define "conformance profiles". This version should be much easier to understand. It's also been pruned (some information moved to other parts of the document).

• Terms "subject of claim", "(un)conditional conformance", and "valid profile" removed.
• Reinstated VisualText label for checkpoints 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3, which is required for any UA that renders text visually.
• More clearly indicate two uses of profiles: for evaluation and as minimal requirements when part of a specification.
• There is a more accurate representation of the relationship between UAAG 1.0 and RFC2119.
• There is a cleaner definition of the default set of requirements.
• New section in 3.2 "Requirements for user interface or APIs"
• In "Requirements for content, for user agent features, or both user agent features and content", clarify that "content only" means at least for content (and may do more for UI where it makes sense).
• Simplified section on well-formed claims due to factorization of conformance profile information.
• Definition of valid claim simplified: "A conformance claim is valid if it is well-formed and true."
• More clear statement that evaluation of claims requires judgment.
• Simplified section on referencing UAAG 1.0 conformance, due to factorization of conformance profile information.

Glossary

• "Image": Some tweaks based on discussion with EH.
• "Content focus" Added link from definition to checkpoint 9.1.
• "Text element": Removed last paragraph after discussion with eric hansen (it was his text originally).

References

• Added [DOM3EVENTS]
• Added link to resource on access to PDF through MSAA at Adobe.

Techniques

• 4.1: Some techs added per 11 July teleconf.
• 6.4: Added GECKO-API as reference.
• 9.6: Added some DOM techniques based on discussion with Philippe Le Hegaret.
• 4.14: In Doing More: allowing the user to select more than one style sheet may be a useful way to implement other requirements of this document. Also, if the user agent offers several default style sheets, the user agent can also use these to satisfy some requirements (e.g., available on the Web; this would allow user agents to improve accessiblity of deployed user agents).

Versions WD-UAAG10-20020708 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20020708

General

This version is the result of nearly ten months of Candidate Recommendation experience. It includes a number of important changes that are the result of user agent evaluations performed with developers of a variety of products. Important changes are noted as such; there were a number of editorial changes made as a result of removing and clarifying checkpoints.

• Provisions are now much more tightly connected to one another. Explicit references will reduce ambiguity about what is required.
• Added black and white printable PS versions.
• Updated link to 18 Dec 2001 charter.
• Adjusted documents to conform to W3C publication rules. Also, added warning since some browsers forget to change file suffix after uncompressing on the fly.
• Incorporated comments from Susan Lesch

Introduction

• Deleted "security" as a limitation of this document (issue 528)
• Important New section 1.5 on themes in this document.

Guidelines

• Added links to checkpoints after guideline title.
• Added to Section 2 (after description of checkpoints): "A user agent may conform to this document without satisfying every checkpoint. See the section on conditional conformance for more information about how to eliminate some checkpoints and still conform." (issue 522)

Checkpoints

Checkpoint numbers are the ones in this draft unless noted otherwise. See also detailed list of changes.

• Each checkpoint now consists of provisions, optional sufficient techniques, optional normative inclusions and exclusions (issue 538). The normative inclusions section also includes conformance labels and whether checkpoint for content, UA, or both. Some information was moved to a section on normative inclusions (even when redundant or unnecessary, but since normative anyway, ok to put there).
• 1.2, 9.5, 9.6: Important. Now optional and part of Events label, per 6 June 2002 teleconf. Also, rewrote 1.2 and 9.6 in terms of event types (issue 525 and also as the result of discussion with the DOM WG)
• 2.5: Changed title to include audio descriptions.
• 2.10: Updated title: "Don't render unsupported language."
• 3.1: The user agent may satisfy this checkpoint with a configuration to not render any images, including background images. However, user agents should satisfy this checkpoint by allowing users to turn off background images alone, independent of other types of images in content. (issue 524)
• 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.6, 4.7: Added normative inclusion indicating that these must be satisfied for all formats (issue 521)
• 3.5: Changed title, changed "refresh" to "retrieve", give META example in Note. (issue 542)
• 4.1: Important. Attempted to clarify checkpoint by emphasizing the scale requirement (otherwise, it doesn't make sense and isn't useful if the user can only change, for example, paragraph text size but not header size accordingly). Split second part of (old) provision one into new provision two.
• 4.6: Important. Per 13 June 2002 teleconf, modified to be only about non-obfuscation. Added two sufficient techniques (render on top with user control of text fg and bg, and render in separate viewports). Changed title. Moved positioning information to techniques and added turning off captions as well. Deleted "The user agent is not required to make the captions background transparent when those captions are rendered above a related video track."
• 4.12, 4.13, 14.4, and 11.7: Independent provisions created to make test suite work easier.
• 4.14: Important. Clarified the intent of the first two provisions: Support alternate author style sheets. Support at least one user style sheet.
• 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4 (new), 6.5: Important. Implemented proposal from IJ and JG and amendment from Rich (issue 529)
• 6.2, 6.9: Not required to export bindings out of process (issue 519)
• 6.3: Refer to content rather than markup languages (issue 526). Also provide minimal requirement for structure access (not character stream for content more structured than plain text) in normative inclusion re: structured programmatic access.
• 6.10: Clarification that referes to "APIs implemented to satisfy the requirements of this document" (issue 532)
• 6.6: Changed "alert" to "notify" (to avoid confusion with "alert the user"). Made this change globally in the document for programmatic notification.
• 8.1: Clarified that the expression "identified as such" means "identified as such in the specification". However, this does not account for W3C Notes such as "Accessibility features of CSS" which may be useful but not normative (issue 533)
• 9.3, 9.7: Clarified to indicate that set of elements refesr to the elements defined in the first provision of the checkpoint issue 534)
• 9.4: Added "If the user returns to a state in the history and the user agent retrieves new content, the user agent is not required to restore the saved values of the three state variables." (issue 535)
• 9.7: Changed the title to "Move content focus in reverse" (issue 536)
• 10.1: Important. Per 20 June 2002 teleconf, now for graphical user agents only, and only about cell/header relations. Added a sufficient technique: "The user agent may satisfy this checkpoint with a technique frequently employed by spreadsheet applications..."
• 10.2, 10.3, 10.6: Important. changed per proposal from IJ (issue 537).
• 10.7: Changed title and added Note that not about downloading (issue 540). Indicate that for streaming content, load progress may be similar to viewport position.
• 11.5:
  • Sufficient technique: The user agent may satisfy the functionality of entering a URI for a new resource in a number of ways, including by prompting the user, or by moving the user interface focus... (issue 541)
  • Delete "refresh rendering", reload resource is ok, "Interrupt reload request" instead of "Stop loading resource" (issue 542)
  • Clarified what forward/back one viewport means (issue 543)
• 11.7: Added normative exclusion that checkpoint does not require that user profiles be portable (issue 539)
• 12.2: Added note that APIs benefit accessibility (issue 519)
• 12.3: Added cross-refs between 12.3 and 11.1 (since documentation of default config sufficient for 11.1 if 11.3 not satisfied; note that 11.3 is a P2...)

Checkpoints or portions of checkpoints from CR-UAAG10-20010912 that were deleted:

• 2.2: Deleted second bullet on SGML/XML applications (issue 530)
• 2.10: Deleted per 6 June 2002 teleconf. Moved info to "doing more" section in techs document for checkpoint 2.3.
• 3.4: Deleted the alert requirement (issue 531)
• 3.5: Deleted the alert requirement per 6 June 2002 teleconf. Moved info to "doing more" section in techs document.
• 3.6: Deleted per 6 June 2002 teleconf. Moved information to checkpoint 3.5 (normative inclusions and also "doing more" of techniques).
• 4.7, 4.8, 4.11: Deleted per 6 June 2002 teleconf. Moved information to the following checkpoints respectively: 4.4, 4.5, and 4.8.
• 5.6 (fee links) and portions of 10.3 and 10.4 (issue 544). Also, deleted references to fee links from prose
• 5.7 (manual close): Deleted per 6 June 2002 teleconf. Moved info to "doing more" section in techs document for checkpoint 5.3.
• 10.3 (default highlight styles) (issue 537)

Conformance

• Important. Deleted VisualText and ColorText conformance labels per support for this proposal from IJ. The consequence is that graphical user agents are required to satisfy 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 when conforming with corresponding content type labels.
• Important. New section 3.12 on including UAAG 1.0 requirements in other specifications and conformance profiles (issue 520)
• Important. In 3.3, added section about security considerations per proposal. Also, removed "security" from section on restricted functionality. This section should really only be about restricted functionality as the result of author content (and not about the UAs refusal to provide security mechanisms). (issue 528)
• 1.2, 9.5, 9.6: Now optional and part of Events label, per 6 June 2002 teleconf. Added Events label (section 3.7), integrated into example in section 3.2. Reordered sections for labels based on likelihood of being satisfied: content type labels, events, selection, input modalities. This order is used throughout the document (with applicability at the end). Added Events label to well-formed claim section.
• In section 3.9 (Conformance) change "should" to "must" for "Information about which specifications have been implemented to satisfy the requirements of the document (e.g., those of guideline 6 and guideline 8)." (issue 521)
• In section 3.3 (conformance details), rewrote section on conformance and implementing specifications (issue 521)
• Deleted example of "fee link" from definition of applicability (issue 544).

Glossary

• Use "audio description" instead of "auditory description" globally, but in glossary indicate WCAG 1.0 as source of auditory description.
• Added definitions of open and closed captions. Indicate what UAAG 1.0 means by captions (related to "recognize").
• Added "event type"
• Attemps to clarify definition of focus.
• Deleted definition of "fee link" (issue 544).

References

• Updated: Unicode to version 3.2, WCAG 1.0 Techniques, Altifier,
• Added: INFOSET (issue 529), XAG, ATK (Gnome API), ACCESSIBILITY-HOWTO, ACCESSIBILITY-DEV-HOWTO, MAC-ACCESS, an active accessibility reference, GECKO-API
• Updated reference to DOM 2 events to include how to dispatch events and register listeners.
• Added some "latest version" links.

Checklists

• In table version, can comment on a per-provision basis. Also, don't center table data in table version
• Indicated in checklists that more normative information (exclusions and inclusions) is found in guideilnes doc.

Techniques

Note: Some techniques also indicated above, where moved from a checkpoint as the result of deleting the checkpoint.

• 4.1: Added from Jim Allan: info on changing tool tips size in Windows.
• 4.17: Link to section 7.0 of CSS1 for semantics of style sheet selection.
• 5.5: Added to Notes/Rationale: Many user agents offer this configuration as a security feature.
• 9.4: Added technique starting "For each state in the history, keep track of the last time the content was modified."
• 9.6: Authors may specify redundant event handlers (e.g., the same handler for both onmouseover and onfocus events). When the user agent recognizes the same handler for two event types, present only one of them to avoid confusion.
• 9.5: Clarified rationale
• 10.1 Added CSS technique ('overflow').
• 10.6: Fee link techniques from old 5.6 moved here (issue 544).
• 11.2: Added to doing more: "If the user agent offers a way to restore the user agent default configuration (e.g,. by pushing a button), prompt the user to save the current configuration before restoring the default configuration. This scenario illustrates the value of named, persistent, reloadable configurations."
• In Guideline 6, added that POR should be available through API
• In speech techs, suggested announcing different classes of links differently
• To cover "pathological" focus scenario from Al Gilman, added "In some markup languages, it is possible (though somewhat pathological) for two actions to be assigned to the same input event type for a given element (e.g., one through an explicit event handler and one "intrinsic" to the element). In this case, offer the user a choice of which action to take."
• Added IFRAME and FRAME reference to section on frame accessibility.

Versions CR-UAAG10-20010912 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010912

This is a Candidate Recommendation. Changes from the previous version are:

• Updated status section
• Minor editorial changes based on comments from Eric Hansen.
• Fixed 4.8 to align with 4.5.
• Fixed title of 4.5
• global change to use expression "fast forward and rewind" instead of "fast advance and fast reverse"
• In techniques, per 30 August teleconf, added comment that sounds played on load may overlap with sounds played later.
• Fixed broken reference links.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010831 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010831

General

• Updated link to charter.

Checkpoints

• 2.4: Editorial change based on comments from Al. Discussed at 30 August 2001 teleconf.
• 4.5: Editorial clarification that direct access ok. Based on proposal for 4.5 and discussion at 30 August 2001 teleconf.

References

• Updated link to SMIL 2 Recommendation.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010731 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010731

General

• Editorial changes based on comments from Harvey Bingham.

Checkpoints

• 2.4: Edited entire checkpoint based on discussion at the 26 July teleconf and discussions with the SVG WG. Pause technique no longer mandatory, but there are requirements when it is used to satisfy the checkpoint.
• 4.1, 4.9, 4.12, and 9.10: These checkpoints required both configuration and control. Removed "control" requirement as this is a subclass of configuration.
• 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 10.2, and 10.4: Per 26 July teleconf, edits to the cascade of which services to use: range first based on what conventional choice utility offers, otherwise lower level API.
• 6.5: Per 19 July teleconf, clarified note that only about content [the checkpoint already says "content", so this is just clarification.] Also, move the sentence about what an available API means from Note to checkpoint (already done for 6.3 and 6.4).
• 9.3: Per 19 July teleconf, Added that user agent must (on configuration) not move focus to another enabled element except on explicit user request. Fixed note after the checkpoint.
• 10.4: Per 19 July teleconf, changed fourth provision to not require rendering of more specific than smallest encompassing element.

Conformance

• Important: For content/For UA feature labels now only used when it's necessary to disambiguate a checkpoint. This is much easier as it requires less reading and can be deleted in the obvious cases or where the labels were confusing. I have also edited some of the checkpoint text to make sure that it's clear when it's about content or rendered content.

Techniques

• 2.4: Some changes based on discussion at the 26 July teleconf and discussions with the SVG WG.
• 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 10.2, and 10.4: Added information about function calls for these services in Windows based on discussions with Tim Lacy: ChooseFont, ChooseColor, DrawText.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010714 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010714

General

• Important: Based on comments from SVG WG, reviewed all Notes after checkpoints and moved to checkpoints:
  • Any sufficient technique.
  • Any exemptions.
• Incorporated editorial comments from Richard Premack:
• Incorporated some editorial suggestions from Harvey Bingham.
• Based on some comments from Tantek Çelik, changed "specification" to "format specification" for clarity in some places (so that it would not be confused with "specified by the author").
• Refer to "synthesized speech" instead of "speech", per 12 July teleconference.
• Based on input from the WG, edited the summary to include more scenarios and fewer checkpoints/guidelines examples.

Introduction

• Use "stakeholder" per comments from Richard Premack.
• Edits to section on limits of document about output modalities. Don't apologize for synthesized speech requirements.

Guidelines

• Edits to introduction describing checkpoint structure to make clear what is normative and informative.

Checkpoints

• Per 12 July teleconference, integrated "rendered content" label in addition to "all content" label. Editor's note: Having integrated this label, I am not entirely satisfied with the results and may propose something that will be easier to use and understand. This is a step in the right direction, however.
• 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 10.2, 10.4: Per 12 July teleconference, refer to "font services", "text decoration services", and "color services". For 4.1, incorporated "cascade" so that font services are required first, otherwise text drawing services. Note that the WG did not agree to this type of change to the other checkpoints (just 4.1), but I made this change to all of these checkpoints for the sake of consistency. I do not believe this changes there meaning in any way.
• 6.4: Added note that alert of changes does not refer to style, only content. This clarification has not yet been approved by the working group. Refer to proposal from Ian.

Conformance

• Important Edited based on comments from SVG WG. This version puts the most important conformance concepts up front, to avoid confusion.
• Added a statement that some checkpoints may not benefit some users for some content, but are expected to benefit many users for general purpose content. This was added based on SVG comments that suggested that some requirements shouldn't be included in the document because they didn't help users all the time.
• Added comment per Richard Premack observation that components may reside on a server.
• Tried to make sure that all requirements are either stated in checkpoints, or things referred to from checkpoints, or in the details clauses of the conformance section.
• Added to image/animation/audio/video content type labels information about requirements applying to media objects that may be rendered independently and coherently according to specification.
• Per 12 July teleconference, added statement that when a UA runs in more than one OE, the user should consider several factors in choosing which conventions to follow.

Glossary

• Important To address issue 517, added definitions of "image" and "audio", and edited definition of "animation" (see also requirements added to content type labels). The point of this change was to define these terms such that they refer to atomic media objects that can be played on their own. Thus, the requirements of the document apply to those media objects that may be played independently. Refer to discussion at the 12 July teleconference.

Techniques

• Per comments from SVG WG, removed incorrect CSS example from checkpoint about outline view.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010622 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010622

General

• Overhauled the structure of the checkpoints:
  • Now uses header elements properly.
  • Different provisions of a checkpoint are in a bulleted list. This should be easier to read and refer to.
  • Added document date to checklists and split-out chapters
  • Changed "next" link text to "next chapter". Same for previous.
  • Added xml namespaces as example of something that a user agent might not recognize (based on SVG WG comments).

Checkpoints

• Updated description in section of the structure of a checkpoint.
• 1.1: Changed note after 1.1 and notes/rationale/who benefits to make clearer direct v. spatial access
• 3.2/3.7: Per discussion at 7 June teleconf, moved sufficient techniques (silent/invisible) from techs to checkpoint text for 3.2 and 3.7. Make this a sufficient but not recommended technique.
• 3.3: Per 7 June teleconf, the user agent must not drop packets in the case of streaming content. The user must have access to all the same content, but in non-animated and non-blinking form. Clarify that text may be rendered in another viewport.
• 3.4: Per discussion at 21 June teleconf, clarified that a single alert for more than zero scripts or applets is required
• 4.6: Per 7 June teleconf, made clear that transparent bg for captions not required.
• 6.4: Per Chair's announcement for issue 515, added note to 6.4 that UA developers should implement APIs that may work across software on a given OE.
• 10.8: Fixed - for content only (not user agent).
• 11.4, 11.5: Clarified that these are about user agent default input configurations. (same language used in 11.3).

References

• Added [PWD-USE-WEB], even though not yet a stable document. Added link to it from impact matrix in techniques document.

Techniques

• 3.2: Left rationale for why silent/invisible is not recommended technique.
• 4.6: Added config for this option to doing more. Added note about which background is preferred, per comments from Cindy King

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010604 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010604

Introduction

• To section on known ilmitatinos, added suggestion to developers to consider untreated issues, per 24 May teleconf.

Guidelines

• Edits to introduction, explaining nature of checkpoints, per 24 May teleconf.

Checkpoints

• 1.1: State that the user must be able to operate with the keyboard any functionality that is available through the user interface (in some configuration). Per 30 May teleconf ( issue 514).
• 2.3: No longer about global configuration. A global config is sufficient, but not necessary.
• 2.4: Added cross reference to 3.5 per 24 May teleconf.
• 2.8: Clarified. Edited note afterwards per 24 May teleconf.
• 2.10: Used to be 3.8. Moved per 24 May teleconf
• 3.1, 3.2, 3.7: Eliminate placeholder requirement and point to checkpoint 2.3 since unrendered content becomes conditional content; refer to 2.3. Removed 3.8 from audio/video/image content label requirements. Per 24 May teleconf
• 3.3: Blinking defined ( issue 512).
• 3.3, 5.1, 5.3, 5.5, 5.6 ok with no configuration. Added section in conformance about configuration reqs. Per 30 May teleconf.
• 3.5: Clarified per 24 May teleconf
• 3.6: Clarified per 24 May teleconf.
• 4.1: No lower bound on text size. Per 30 May teleconf ( issue 512).
• 3.3: Blinking defined
• 5.5: For all form submissions, per 25 May teleconf.
• About focus events only. Clarified per 25 May teleconf ( issue 503).
• 9.5: Added to Note onfocus/onblur/onchange in the case of HTML
• 10.3, 10.7: Don't apply when default values that are inherited. per 25 May teleconf ( issue 504).
• 11.4: Single-key mode sufficient, per 25 May teleconf ( issue 505).

Conformance

• New section on configuration issues.

Glossary

• "Global configuration". Clarified per 30 May teleconf.
• "User agent user interface": Clarified.
• "Empty content": New
• "Explicit user request": About UA UA controls only.
• "Rendered text": Added. Per 25 May teleconf ( issue 507).

References

• Added statement to informative refrences section that some may become normative if used to satisfy G6 and G8, per 24 May teleconf

Techniques

• 1.1: Added rationale why cognitive burden of too much direct key access.
• 4.3: Added technique for case of SMIL regions (and non-applicability of foreground color). Per 25 May teleconf ( issue 507).
• 6.3: Per 31 May 2001 teleconf, added examples of non-XML/HTML content and APIs.
• 10.3, 10.7, and 12.3: Documentation should explain how to change defaults if inherited.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010525 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010525

General

• Each checkpoint now has introductory summary phrase.
• Changed "form control" to "form element" globally, to avoid confusion with "user interface control".

Introduction

• Some changes to the section on target user agents to clarify what the expected operating environment is.
• Deleted the term "mainstream".
• In limitations of the document, talk about limited aural space per 18 May teleconf.

Guidelines

• 4: Deleted note about the checkpoints including conditional content since this sounds like a normative rqeuirement but it is in the guideline prose. Moved this to conformance section.
• 6: Edited prose. Deleted "interoperable" from "interoperable API" per Mark Novak comment.
• 8: In prose, indicate how two checkpoints fit together.
• 10: In prose, make clearer that this is information through a UI and not just visual.
• 12: Edited prose.

Checkpoints

• 1.2: Per 10 May teleconference, added information about event sequences.
• 2.1: Simplified. Also, per 10 May teleconference, added exemption in case of contradition.
• 2.2: Simplified. Added link to "text source".
• 2.3: Simplified. Removed "close relationship" and now indicate only summary, description, etc. for more precision. Alert now only required for query option (per 10 May teleconf). Alert must be per-element.
• 2.4: Added to note to pause all synched content per 19 April teleconf.
• 2.4, 3.5, 4.5: Buffering is not required, per 19 April teleconf.
• 2.9: Per 16 May teleconf, clarified that all content doesn't need to be in one viewport. Mention multiple configs in Note.
• 2.10: Per 17 May teleconf, natural language includes writing systems.
• 3.3: Added note that animation is different from streaming, and cross-ref to 3.5.
• 3.4: Added note that this is not about plug-ins based on RealNetworks comments.
• 4.1, 4.2, 4.3: Changed to "visually rendered text" per 18 May teleconf.
• 4.5: Added to checkpoint that playback during ff and rw is not required.
• 4.6: Needs review. Transcripts no longer included. More detailed about what is required. Based on 19 April teleconf but not yet approved.
• Old 4.10: Split into 4.10 and 4.11 per 18 May teleconf (refer to proposal from Ian.
• 5.1: About changes to content-focus only.
• 5.4: UI focus is not related to viewport, do not part of this checkpoint. This checkpoint for content only.
• 6.3-6.6: Substantial reorganization per 18 May and 23 May teleconfs. Reused "available and appropriate" from 8.2.
• Deleted old 6.6 and integrated into new 6.6.
• 8.1: Modified definition of accessibility features.
• 8.2: For consistency with 2.1, added that if a spec contradicts this spec, developer may disregard the other specification.
• Old 9.1: Split into 9.1 and 9.2. Important Because there is no requirement to implement a selection, there is no checkpoint for it.
• 9.1: Added note that plug-in viewports are part of this checkpoint if in the claim.
• 9.4/9.5: Switched per request from Gregory.
• 9.4: Clarify that this is only when history mechanism is implemented.
• 9.10: Removed 6.4 cross-ref per comment from Mark Novak.
• 10.1: Added example of where summaries come from.
• 10.8: Per 19 April teleconf, added note that granularity of proportion not specified. Moved h. and v. requirement from Note to checkpoint
• 12.2: Per 23 May teleconf, edited definition of accessibility features. 12.4 and 12.5 refer to it.
• 12.4/12.5: Switched order to allow better grouping w.r.t. prose.
• 12.5: Edited per 19 April teleconf to adopt proposal from Ian. Per 23 May teleconf, edited scope of "all".

Conformance

• New section 3.5 about the selection label. Updated well-formed claim requirements and other information earlier in conformance section.
• Added section 3.9 "additional conformance topics">
• Merged some topics (logos, responsibility) under 3.8 (validity of a claim).
• Under 3.9:
  • New section on conformance and implementing specifications. Per 19 April teleconf decision that conformance possible to some specs (but not required for all).
  • Edits to description of content only /ui
  • Edits to section on satisfying through API or otherwise.
  • Edits to section on restricted functionality and conformance.
  • Per 16 May teleconf, it's ok to satisfy a "content only" requirement in a manner that also involves the UI.
  • Per 23 May teleconf, configuration files are ok to satisfy config requirements. Added that *should* also be do-able in UI.
• Well-formed claim should include information about APIs and formats used to satisfy the requirements of the document.
• Added 4.11 to Audio label.

Glossary

• Added a navigation bar to top of glossary.
• Per 23 May teleconf, added statement that glossary is normative.
• New definitions: Override (per 19 April teleconf), Plug-in, Applet, Text source, Non-interactive element (per 16 May teleconf).
• Disabled element: Redefined in terms of enabled only.
• Scripts: Moved some examples from conformance to here.
• Viewport, rendered content: Edited per 17 May teleconf.
• Selection, Focus: Substantial edits.
• Standard API: Definition deleted.

References

• Updated [UNICODE] to version 3.1.

Techniques

• Added a "Who benefits" section to each checkpoint. This replaces the impact matrix. Also generate a new appendix summarizing which checkpoints are expected to help which users.
• Added a section summarizing the differences between the Techniques document and the Guidelines.
• Added note that references to products are not endorsements.
• 2.1: Explain "contradiction" case. Added technique about configuration in case of contradiction.
• 2.3: Tweaks to emphasize the presence of more than one piece of associated conditional content. Added technique of a global flag (menu) and then per-element access thereafter.
• 2.4: Added note about usability for some content. Added to techniques why unsynched content need not be paused. Added other techniques.
• 2.5: Added rationale why transcripts present at same time as visual track.
• 2.6: Added cross-reference to SMIL 2.0.
• 2.10: Added Cyrillic example.
• 3.6: Added more info to techniques about how done in HTML
• 3.7: Added note to explain why lower priority than 3.2
• 8.2: Added rationale why conformance to w3c specs not P1.
• 10.3: Per 17 May teleconf, indicate that black, white, grey are colors.
• 10.8: Per 19 April teleconf, gave example of fifty audio clips; also
• 11.6: Added info about documenting configuration formats.
• 12.2: Added info about documenting configuration formats.
• 12.x: Say "user agent" instead of "product". Added a relative proportion technique.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010411 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010411

This draft of the documents is a first experiment in breaking them into smaller pieces by default. There is still a single HTML version available for each document, available along with the other available formats.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010409 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20000409

• Status section update for last call draft.
• Added some techniques
• Put RFC2046 back into note after 2.2.
• Some edits to checkpoint 4.10 based on Greg Lowney comments.
• Clarification to definitions of activate, enabled element, interactive element (so not circular).

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010404 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20000404

General

There were only very minor changes to the Guidelines. This was mostly an effort to clean up the Techniques Document.

Techniques

• Added same navigation tools as in Guidelines (next, previous, guideline etc.)
• Divided techniques into five groups: notes and rationale, example techniques, doing more, cross references in this document, other references.
• General editing to the techniques to reduce redundancy and update with changes to the document.
• Removed table of Netscape's keyboard bindings and replaced with a link to the Mozilla site (which has lots of good information about keyboard bindings that developers should think about).
• Some images were too wide, so I cropped them as best I could.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010331 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20000331

General

• Integrated executive summary per 29 March 2001 teleconference.
• Further deleted instances of "must" to fall in line with RFC2119. "Must" only used in checkpoints, in references to checkpoints that use "must", and in section on conformance.

Guidelines

• Added Note before Guideline one about checkpoint "interdependence".

Checkpoints

• 1.2: This checkpoint moved from Guideline 9 per 29 March 2001 teleconference since about device-independence.
• 2.3: Clarified (with one word) in checkpoint what was already in the Note: that the config requirement is global.
• 2.5, 2.6: Added that these are special cases of 2.1.
• 2.7: Editorial changes to remove "author's intention" and instead focus on how the content is encoded. Same language as 2.6 in essence.
• 3.2, 3.7: Per comments from Greg Lowney, changed to not talk about activation of placeholders (but same requirement).
• 3.4, 4.16: Added some rationale to Notes about turning off scripts/style sheets as a last resort technique.
• 3.8: New. Added per decision at 29 March 2001 teleconference. See issue 467.
• 4.6: Changed "same" to "at least" for clarity, per decision at 29 March 2001 teleconference.
• 4.11 (and elsewhere): Changed "speech playback rate" to "speech rate".
• 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.7: Important Per decision at 29 March 2001 teleconference, added requirements that if standard APIs not available, use some publicly documented API to provide access.
• 8.2: Tweaks in Note about conformance to W3C specs.
• 9.2: Per decision at 29 March 2001 teleconference, did not add requirement for reverse navigation, but did add suggestion to note.
• 9.4: Per decision at 29 March 2001 teleconference, changed language from "query" to allow for non-query techniques.
• 10.2, 10.6: Fixed label: These checkpoints are for content only. Moved 10.6 to section on content requirements.
• 11.4: Minimal requirement is to have single key bindings for at least all of what's in 11.5, per decision at 29 March 2001 teleconference. Add a Note to encourage developers to supply a bunch of single key bindings AND that most functionalities should be available for single-key bindings. Other edits as well to clarify the meaning of single key, option for modifiers for default input config. See issue 468.

Conformance

• In applicability provision 3, cleaned up references to event handlers.
• Added (new) checkpoint 3.8 to content type label groups Video, Audio, Animation, and Image.
• Added note that checkpoint grouping/order has no bearing on conformance.
• Added note that link to techniques after checkpoint is informative.

Glossary

• Some general (minor) editorial cleanup.
• "Placeholder": updates and cleanup of definition. Added some techniques as well to convey idea.
• Updated definition of "Documentation" and deleted "document source view" per decision at 29 March 2001 teleconference to implement proposal from Ian.
• Event handlers: Cleaned up definition and added definition of "explicitly associated event handler".
• Assistive technology: Added as another example of an AT definition, link to AT act of 1998.

References

• Added [AT1998].

Techniques

• 1.2: Added query and non-query techniques. Added config option to non-query technique.
• 1.2, 9.4: Added information about what constitutes an input device event handler in HTML 4 and DOM 2.
• 2.5, 4.6: Added techniques for SMIL 1.0 user agents on recognizing as captions what is guarded by the system-captions test attribute.
• 2.7: Added very little in the way of examples of conditional content.
• 3.4: Added technique to increase granularity of on/off control.
• 8.2: Added link to W3C tech reports page.
• 9.4: per 29 March teleconf : added technique to restore state variables after refresh of content. Removed first technique since part of checkpoint now.
• 11.4: mention that entering a special mode (e.g, via one key) and having single key bindings after that is also useful.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010323 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20000323

General

• Added guidelines navigations mechanisms per request from Gregory.
• Checklist no longer sorted by groups, just priorities. Also, added column for content, ua, or both.

Guidelines

• Important edits to prose of Guideline 1 to make clearer why these 2 checkpoints are important to device-independence principle.

Checkpoints

• 2.3, 2.9: Per 22 March teleconf, harmonized the relationship between these two checkpoints. Based on proposal from Ian.
• 2.7: Per 22 March teleconf, repair techniques in checkpoint are sufficient but not necessary. Important edits to Note after checkpoint to give a better sense of the goal of repair.
• 4.13, 4.14, 4.15: Changes based on 22 March teleconf decision, but deviated from decision by incorporating CSS2 terms directly into checkpoints. Left informative reference to CSS2.
• 9.8: Per 22 March teleconf decision, added alert requirement when search reaches end of content.
• Old 11.3: Split into 11.3 and 11.4 (as part of improving input modality label defintions).

Conformance

Important changes based on proposal from Ian adopted at 22 March teleconference.

• Implemented labels for content only, user agent only, or both. Labels appear after priority statement. See also new subsection of 3.7 (validity of a claim) on these labels.
• Rewrote conformance model (3.1)
• Added example of determining set of requirements.
• Added requirement to use content type labels in addition to information about supported formats.
• Updated input modality requirements and descriptions.
• Updated definition of valid claim based on "default" set of requirements.

Glossary

• Added statement to definition of DOM about most requirements (but for repair) applying after construction of DOM.
• Added definitions of normative/informative. Link to them from the document.
• To definition of "auditory description", added "sometimes audio description" based on commetnts from Geoff Freed.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010319 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20000319

General

• General editorial pass to harmonize prose in guidelines with checkpoints, etc. I did not do a pass over the glossary this draft.
• Per comments from Harvey:
  • harmonized use of quotes and the code element. Added more instances of the code element.
  • added some information about typographic conventions for glossary and references (to the beginning of each of those sections).

Abstract

• Clarified last sentence of first para of Abstract per comment from Denis Anson

Introduction

• Section 1.1: Editorial - Per 15 March teleconference, changed "support for bad authoring practices" concept to be clearer.
• Section 1.3 (Known limitations): added single-layer only for background image control.

Guidelines

General edits, notably to prose of G1, G3, G5, G9.

Checkpoints

• Old 1.2: Deleted per 15 March teleconference.
• 2.2: Per 15 March teleconference, moved text format requirements into checkpoint and rewrote Note.
• 2.3: Editorial clarifications.
• 3.2 and 3.7: Implemented proposal from Ian to allow viewing visual content out of context (as well as in context).
• 3.3: Added stock-ticker example to Note per issue 384.
• 4.1: Editorial - added HTML paragraphs as an example in the Note.
• 4.5: Editorial - clarified in Note that independent control is required by this checkpoint.
• 5.4, 5.5, 5.6: Editorial - attempted to clarify the checkpoints.
• 9.1: Deleted sentence about pointing device per proposal from Ian. Not yet approved.
• 9.2: Changed from P1 to P2 per 15 March teleconference.
• 9.5: Since this checkpoint is about 4 state variables, fixed Note.
• 9.6, 10.3: Editorial - shorter sentences.
• 10.5: Editorial - tried to state clearer what an internal link is.
• 11.3: Added Note that key means physical key of the keyboard input device.
• 12.4: Editorial - Added to note emphasis about integration of access features in whole documentation.
• 4.14, 4.15: Terminology aligned with CSS2 terminology. Also, implemented proposal from Al. Not yet approved.

Conformance

• In section 3.3 about formats: Changed "there is no restriction" to "this specification imposes no restrictions on".

Glossary

• Editorial: Changes to "enabled element" based on comments from Eric Hansen.
• Editorial: Changes to "focus" based on comments from Eric Hansen.

References

• Added VIAVOICE

Techniques

• 3.3: Added technique about rendering lots of blinking text as a block a link away.
• 7.3: Editorial changes to info about consistency, per Bryan Campbell comments.
• 4.13, 4.15: Added images for ViaVoice GUIs.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010309 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20000309

General

• Editorial: General substitution of "Allow the user to configure the user agent to" to "Allow configuration to"
• Editorial: Global substitution of "active element" with "enabled element". Introduction of term "Interactive element".
• Editorial: Some changes based on comments from Aaron Leventhal. In particular, changed "must" to "needs to" in a number of places (e.g., guidelines prose, techniques) to avoid impression that required for conformance.

Introduction

• 1.3 (Known limitations): Added a limitation that there is no requirement in this document for all user interface components to be under final user control; this is covered to a large extent in Guideline 5 and also in other software guidelines.

Guidelines

• Guideline 4 split into Guidelines 4 and 5. Moved checkpoints about control of UI behavior to new Guideline 5.
• Guideline 5 split into Guidelines 6 and 7.

Checkpoints

• 2.4: Checkpoint wording changed per 1-2 March face-to-face. Added alert requirement as well. Please review. ( issue 460).
• 2.5: Changed from "allow the user to specify" to "allow the user to configure or control".
• 3.2: Content type "Animation", not "Image". But leave video as well.
• 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7: Changed "video and animations" to "animations (including video and animated images)" per proposal from Ian adopted at 8 March teleconf.
• 4.5: Important Based on discussion at 1-2 March face-to-face, added the following statement: "The user agent is not required to play synchronized audio during fast advance or reverse of animations (though doing so may help orient the user)."
• 4.13, 4.14, 4.15: Important These are derived from one single checkpoint per 1-2 March face-to-face resolution. These checkpoints need review! (Didn't do much to move techniques around yet.)
• 5.1, 5.2, 5.3: Changed per proposal from Ian, adopted at 8 March teleconf.
• 6.5: (Editorial) Selection and focus are no longer part of "UI controls".
• 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7: Now form a coherent content-focus navigation model (among viewports and among enabled elements and among history). Changed per proposal from Ian (adopted at 8 March teleconf) in conjunction with resolutions from 1-2 March face-to-face.
• 9.1: Removed this Note: "Navigation among all viewports implies at least allowing the user to cycle through all viewports."
• 9.2, 9.7: Based on comments from Aaron Leventhal, attempt at making the differences between these two checkpoints more apparent (note that the first sentence is the same in both, but the other two differ).
• 9.8: Clarification about where the default search starting point should be (when user has not indicated). Based on resolution from 1-2 March face-to-face.
• 10.7: No longer talks about current viewport; instead viewport with current focus. Changed per proposal from Ian (adopted at 8 March teleconf).
• 11.4: Browser history is not required, so history stage change bindings moved to "if supported" section.
• 12.2, 12.5: Edits to Notes based on comments from Harvey Bingham.

Conformance

• Applicability: Added some comments about event bubbling to third applicability provision.
• 3.5 Responsibility for Claims: Changed wording from "anyone may make a claim" to "this spec imposes no restrictions about who may make a claim".
• 3.1 (Content type labels): Made some adjustments based on definition of Animation that includes Video and Animated Images. In particular: Animated images are part of animation, not images. The goal was to have video/image/animation conformance overlap as little as possible. Also adjusted Speech label based on two new speech checkpoints.

Glossary

• New term: "Animation" (per 8 March discussion.
• New term: "Enabled element"
• New term: "Interactive element"
• Deleted term: "active element"
• Deleted term: "current viewport"
• Per 1-2 March face-to-face, changes to the terms "focus" (content focus and user interface focus), "selection", "point of regard".
• "Event handlers": Added "An event handler is 'explicitly associated with an element' when the event handler is associated with a particular element through markup or the DOM."

References

• New section "How to refer to this document". Distinguishes this version from latest version. Gives sample HTML markup.
• Added [SMIL20]
• Fixed some cross-linking bugs between Guidelines and Techniques pointed out by Harvey Bingham.

Techniques

• 2.7: Added some examples of "required" conditional content.
• 3.5: Added technique to configure-content refresh based on CMN example.
• 4.4, 4.5: Added some techniques for doing this in SMIL 2.0. Added some info about applicability and streaming. Added techniques pointing to digital talking books information.
• 5.1, 5.2: Some techniques added.
• 5.5: Suggest warning user that some fee mechanisms may not be "caught" in this configuration. Added per 1-2 March face-to-face resolution.
• 6.1: Added rationale about advantage of access to source content to ATs (rather than offscreen access).
• 9.9: Added some comments about where important information is identified from (e.g., specs, metadata).
• 12.3: Added a technique to document where UA diverges from system conventions.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010224 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20000224

General

• The document talks a lot more about "conditional content" and a lot less about "equivalents", though equivalents are still mentioned (with respect to WCAG and also checkpoint 1.3).

Guidelines

• Prose to Guideline 2 edited to reflect staged access model.
• Prose all Guidelines edited to reflect current state of document (after evolution of checkpoints and migration of checkpoints to other guidelines).
• Title of Guideline 4 changed per issue 455.

Checkpoints

• 1.1, 1.2: Editorial clarifications.
• 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9 (new): All changed according to proposal from Ian adopted at 22 Feb 2001 teleconference. This addresses issues 321, 322, 358, 359, and 392.
• 3.3: Added a note that blinking may be useful to some users (e.g., users who are deaf).
• 5.4: Per issue 457, deleted "usign standard APIs". Added a cross-reference to 5.6, since it covers the standard API requirements. Checkpoint 5.4 requires read-write access in all cases, even when no std APIs available. Moved commented examples to Note after checkpoint, in conjunction with cross reference to 5.6
• 8.3: Per issue 458, Added statement to that the requirement for image maps (all image maps, not just client-side) is highlight of map as a whole, with "should" for configuration to highlight each active region. The idea is that the author will help here. Note: objection from Charles.

Conformance

Based on proposal from Ian, added text to clarify that checkpoint groupings are not normative. This pertains to issue 435.

Glossary

• Added "conditional content"
• Modifications to the definitions of text element, text equivalent, and equivalent. Much of the information previously there is still there, but now the definitions point more towards WCAG 1.0 definitions.

References

• Added RFC2046 (for checkpoint 2.2).

Techniques

• Checkpoints 2.1, etc.: Techniques updated since checkpoints moved around.
• Checkpoint 2.10: Add info about HTTP headers and CSS ':lang' pseudo-class. Also, revised this sentence "For instance, a user agent that doesn't support Korean (e.g., doesn't have the appropriate fonts or voice set) should allow configuration to announce the language change with the message "Unsupported language -- unable to render" (e.g., when the language itself is not recognized) or "Korean not supported -- unable to render" (e.g., when the language is recognized by the user agent doesn't have resources to render it)."
• Checkpoint 4.4: Added note that access through two passes is better than no access at all.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010126 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20000126

General

• Global change of "operating system and programming language environment" to "operating environment". Left some OS-specific examples, however.
• Based on discussion at 25 Jan 2001 teleconf, deleted many instances of "author-specified" from checkpoints since the applicability provision is in effect globally. However, left "author-specified" when necessary to distinguish from what is from the author and what is from the user agent: keyboard bindings and styles, navigation order. Deleted some instances of "author-supplied" but left a few others where they added clarity.

Introduction

• At the beginning of section 2, added wording "Some checkpoints (e.g., those requiring developers to follow conventions or implement specifications defined outside this document) are inherently more subject to interpretation than others."

Checkpoints

• 2.1: Per resolution to issue 394, (resolved at 18 Jan 2001), added source-like view to minimal requirement. Added more rationale to Note.
• 2.2: Per issue 452 (resolved at 25 Jan 2001 teleconf), modified checkpoint wording.
• 3.2: Content type label changed from Animation to Image.
• Old 3.4: Deleted checkpoint for no blinking images for a couple of reasons: We are not aware of these on the Web, and if there are, they are probably covered by the requirements to turn of animated images.
• 3.5: Per issue 453, resolved at 22 January 2001 teleconf, revised checkpoint to use term "executable content".
• 3.6, 3.7: Switched order. Both clearly indicate that driven by client, not server. Deleted "author-specified" from both checkpoints.
• 3.6: Raised to P1 per issue 454 ( 25 Jan 2001 teleconf).
• 5.8: New This checkpoint added per resolution to issue 327 (resolved 18 Jan 2001).
• 6.2: Per issue 324 (resolved 18 Jan 2001), modified checkpoint wording.
• 9.6: Since this checkpoint is P3 and checkpoint 9.3 is P2, checkpoint 9.6 is a "special case" of 9.3 but not an important special case.

Conformance

• Intro section to section 3 tweaked to be more readable.
• WCAG 1.0 conformance as part of well-formedness only in the case when the claim is on the Web.
• Editorial changes to well-formedness section per Eric Hansen suggestion. The result is that labels are part of well-formedness in the case of a claim of conditional conformance. So "validity" is reduced to well-formedness plus verified satisfaction of requirements.
• In definition of content type label for image, animated images are now included.

Glossary

• Some clarifications to definition of "active element" based on proposal from Ian. This definition is likely to undergo more refinement based on comments from Eric.
• Added definition of "character encoding"
• Deleted definitions of presentation, multimedia presentation, tactile object, tactile-only presentation, tactile track, audio object (part of audio track now), and visual object (part of visual track now).
• Per issue 450 (resolved at 22 Jan 2001 teleconf), added "operating environment."

Techniques

• Added mention that W3C validator handles XHTML.
• Checkpoint 2.2: Added techniques proposed by WCAG reviewers.
• Checkpoint 3.5: Mention "ActiveX" in techniques. Added to techniques that plug-ins not part of content are not part of this checkpoint
• Checkpoint 3.7: Added technique: "The user agent may provide a configuration so that when the user navigates "back" through the user agent history to a page with a client-side redirect, the user agent does not re-execute the client-side redirect."

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010116 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010116

This version includes:

• A revised conformance model. This one more clearly distinguishes "conformance" from "claims of conformance" and also introductions the notions of unconditional and conditional conformance.
• Some minor editorial changes to the introduction.

Versions WD-UAAG10-20010113 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20010113

General

• Some checkpoints moved around (sorry folks). Notably, checkpoints in G1 and G9 were moved to G5 since they are about following OS conventions.
• Per issue 374 changed "inflected speech" to "speech prosody" in two places.
• Per issue 397, Global change from "range of system fonts [and/or] colors" to "full range of fonts [and/or] colors supported by the system".
• Changed "manual (request)" to "on demand" in several checkpoints.
• To avoid confusion with "selection", use the verb "choose" rather than "select" when not about the selection.

Abstract

• Per issue 356, some edits in abstract and elsewhere to no longer talk about the "scope of the document."

Introduction

Important editorial changes. Based on issue 356, section 1.2 was split into a number of sections, one of which is "known limitations". The sections are:

• Minor: Added direct link to WAI resources page from after TOC.
• New: Relationship of this document to other WAI guidelines. In particular, how the UAAG 1.0 uses WCAG 1.0 and does repair in the WAI accessibility model. This is a new section that sets the stage for additional information about importing WCAG terms, part of resolving issues 321 and 322 (still open action items).
• Target user agents (mostly existing text)
• Known limitations of this document: Added to this section: input modalities, time, security, and IPR (the last three per issue 377). Per issue 396, added that resizing capabilities may be required for conformance to other specifications (e.g., SVG [[SVG]]).
• Relationship to general software design guidelines (includes some info on installation). This is mostly existing text.

Guidelines

• Guideline 3: Title shortened to "Allow configuration not to render some content that may reduce accessibility."
• Guideline 6: Per issue 428, s/promote accessibility/benefit accessibility.

Checkpoints

• 1.1: Per issue 416, added examples to Note, including selection.
• 1.1, 1.2: Changed "user may" to "user can".
• 1.2: Per issue 392, language harmonized with that of 1.1 for three input modalities.
• 2.2: Per issue 360:
  • Note clearly states that this checkpoint applies only when timing is recognized.
  • Added SMIL example to note
  • Added statement about what not required by 2.2
  • Does not talk about scripts explicitly to avoid suggesting that no timing can be recognized in a script.
• 2.2, 3.3: Edits to Notes to use "applicability" and "recognize" in a consistent manner.
• 2.6: Per issue 381, clarified language about missing equivalents. Now repair requirement easier to read.
• 3.1, 3.5: Clarify that when background images or scripts are present but not processed, to alert the user.
• 3.3, 3.4: Changed "motionless" to "motionless, unblinking"
• 3.3: Per issue 363, added note that this checkpoint does not address text blinking and animation effects caused by means (e.g., scripts) that the user agent cannot recognize.
• 3.5: Per issue 364, added "any" to checkpoint text to clarify that this is a resource-level requirement.
• 3.6: Per issue 428, dropped requirement for control when instantaneous redirect.
• 3.6, 3.7, 4.18: Per issue 408, indicate in each checkpoint that one way to handle "on demand" is through a link or responding to a prompt.
• 3.8: Added missing information about placeholder requirement per observation from Ian.
• 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.9: Now use the term "global configuration" (see glossary).
• 4.4, 4.5 (were 4.5, 4.6): Rewritten to make "style exception" clearer. Per issue 398, added more rationale to note after 4.4, as well as reference to WCAG requirements and some examples of what is recognizable as style. Added x-ref from 4.5 to 4.4 for this explanation.
• 4.9: Per issue 434, added an configuration option to override author-specified and UA default settings for global volume.
• 4.10 (was 4.11): Per issue 400, added to Note (a) Rationale about why for sounds that are not synched. (b) UA may satisfy by allowing control of all sources.
• 4.10, 4.12: Per issue 434, added Note to clarify that this includes override of author-specified volumes.
• 4.13 (was 4.14): Per issue 361, added information about preset options to Note.
• 4.17: Per issue 410, deleted second sentence since redundant with 4.18. Per issue 411, added to end of first sentence "with which it overlaps".
• 4.18: Per issue 409, added a sentence that "If a viewport (e.g., a frame set) contains other viewports, these requirements only apply to the outermost container viewport."
• 4.19: Added per issue 407.
• 5.6 (was 1.2): Per issue 367 and issue 323, checkpoint modified to make OS and programming language APIs examples of standard accessibility APIs. [This seems more consistent with what the WG discussed at AOL and with the reviewer's comments.]
• 5.9 (was 5.7): Raised priority from P3 to P2 per issue 437.
• 5.10 (was 8.6): Moved to Guideline 5 per issue 421. Wording harmonized with checkpoint 5.12 (formerly 5.8).
• 5.12 (was 5.8): Per issue 412, added "that benefit accessibility" to second sentence.
• 7.3, 7.4: Per issue 350, added more clarification about their difference.
• 7.5: Per issue 354 and issue 417:
  • Now includes requirements in the case of wrapping.
  • Offending text about inside/outside viewport removed.
• 7.6: Per issue 370, incorporated editorial changes proposed by Ian.
• 8.2: Added per issue 422 based on proposal from Ian.
• 8.3: Per issue 422, subsumes checkpoints from previous draft: 8.2, 8.3, and 8.8. Min req added that one mechanism other than color required for graphical viewports. Per issue 419, since fee links, recently visited links, and active elements are rendered "statically", it's ok to use fonts to highlight them. So added "font variations" to note after this checkpoint.
• 8.4: Per issue 352:
  • Moved cross-reference to 7.6 to Note.
  • Edited Note to make clearer (a) outline view concept (b) what navigable outline means (c) positive relationship to 7.6 (rather than negative)
  Per issue 387, rewrote based on proposal from Ian.
• 8.6: Per issue 422, subsumes checkpoints from previous draft: 4.15, 4.16 and first part of 8.6. Min req added that one mechanism other than color required for graphical viewports. Per issue 419, added recommendation that since selection/focus change frequently, UAs should not use mechanisms that cause reflow (e.g., font size variations).
• 8.7: About viewport highlight only. Added requirement that default cannot rely on color alone.
• 8.9: Added per issue 420 (as resolved at 11 Jan teleconf).
• 9.1: Per issue 423, added Note: "To satisfy this checkpoint, the user agent may make available binding information in a centralized fashion (e.g., a list of bindings) or a distributed fashion (e.g., by listing keyboard shortcuts in user interface menus)."
• 9.2 (was 9.3): Per issue 423, (1) Changed checkpoint text to state centralized view explicitly. (2) Moved HTML example to note (3) More clarifications in Note, including different views per modality.
• 9.3 (was 9.4): Subsumes 9.4 and 9.5 from previous draft (combined for clarity). This cancels the need for the resolution to issue 425 (and is inspired by the reviewer's comments). Some edits to 9.3 to make clearer modifier key requirements.
• 9.4 (was 9.8): Moved to position after 9.3 per issue 426. Also, added note that there is no requirement in this checkpoint for simple bindings by default.
• 10.2, 10.4: Per issue 428, s/promote accessibility/benefit accessibility.

Conformance

Important changes and clarifications here. I have attempted to simplify the conformance model so that by default, you have to do everything, and that to do less than that, you must say how you narrow the scope of conformance in your claim (through three mechanisms).

• To avoid "core" labels, made content type labels reduce the scope. So label names now *negative*. These changes eliminate the need for the "All" class and abbreviated labels.
• Input modality labels are also "negative" (they decrease the scope).
• Changed content type label "Text" to "NoColorText".
• Per issue 355: Edits to section on using OS features for conformance. Made this section a subsection of section on claim validity.
• Text no the importance of accessible by default added to note in section on valid conformance claim. (refer to not-yet-discussed issue 447, which complains about what "conformance by default" means.).
• Per issue 377, Added new section "Restricted functionality and conformance"
• Per issue 438, added statement Note: "Developers are encouraged to design user agents that are at least partially operable through all three input modalities."
• Applicability provisions: Per issue 357, edited provisions 2 and 3 per proposal from Ian. Added fee links as an example of what must be recognized in content.

Glossary

• Active element: Edits for clarity per issue 403: markup/content determines what is active (not scripts or style). Also, per issue 369, added "For the requirements of this document, user agents are only expected to recognize potentially active elements through markup, not through scripts or style sheets (e.g., the ':hover' pseudo-class of CSS 2).
• Fee link: Added per issue 422. The definition makes clear that fee links must be identified client-side.
• Global configuration: This term added and used in checkpoints 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.9.
• Input configuration: Per issue 424, now mentions that bindings not recognized (e.g., set through scripts) are not applicable
• Placeholder: Added per issue 383. Placeholders not necessarily in DOM. Placeholders strictly in the UI (not in the DOM) are subject to 1.3
• Recognize: Important clarifications (I hope!) to make this format-centric, not user agent centric. No longer about what the UA is programmed to do. Instead, about what the format enables. This change made to be consistent with language adopted in the applicability provisions per issue 357.
• Rendered content: definition now clearly states that some content may not be inside viewport at some times.
• Repair content: no longer states that content generated as a result of user preferences is necessarily for repair; that is part of the defn of placeholder. Repair content not necessarily in DOM.
• Text decoration: Added per issue 422.
• Voice browser: Added (based on info from voice browser activity home page).

References

• Added [ADOBE] (techniques only) per issue 357
• Per issue 366, deleted [WAIRESOURCES] (since direct link now).
• Added [ICAB] (techniques only).

Techniques

• 2.2: Added SMIL ref and HTML/META technique to 2.2
• 3.6: Per issue 428, added technique to allow for configuration even when t=0
• 4.4 (was 4.5): Added some techniques for "bgsound" and "background" in HTML.
• 4.11 (was 4.12): Per issue 403, added technique about override of author-specified chnages to playback rate.
• 5.3: Per issue 436, added some non-HTML/XML markup languages to techniques. Added MSAA and JAVAAPI as apis
• 5.6 (was 1.2): Edited techniques per issue 367 and issue 323.
• 5.12 (was 5.8): Per issue 395, Added technique that rationale of this document for making content accessible applies to UI as well.
• 7.3: Per issue 439, added technique about direct navigation and when it may be useful
• 7.5: Added a technique about small viewports or big matchs and where to put viewport when there's a match.
• 8.2: Added mini technique add to highlighting checkpoint on potential conflict for colors
• 8.3: Moved techniques about selection/focus to 8.6 instead. Added some CSS techniques.
• 9.2 (was 9.3): Added some techniques. Some based on techniques from Charles.
• 10.5: Per issue 428, added technique to 10.5 suggesting linking from documentation required by 10.4. Removed "at a minimum" from techniques for 10.5.
• Added JavaScript techniques (distributed among checkpoints) proposed by Jon.
• Fixed technique for repair content to say that repair content should conform to WCAG (instead of "must be accessible").

Versions WD-UAAG10-20001229 and WD-UAAG10-TECHS-20001229

General

• Editorial changes based on comments from Susan Lesch, Martin Dürst, Joe Sullivan, Liam Quinn, Al Gilman, Max Nakane.

Introduction

• Section 1.2: Added to section 1.2 and in intro that this document for four types of disabilities.
• Section 1.2: Per comments Richard Premack: Added comment "Not all user agents require installation (e.g., those that may be part of a mobile telephone)."

Guidelines

• G1: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 338: Edit to one sentence.
• G4: Editorial change to prose based on comments from Al Gilman.
• G4: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 343: Multimedia checkpoint group heading changed.
• G4: Changed "checkpoints for fonts and color" to "Checkpoints for visually rendered text (content accessibility)".
• G6: Based on comments from Al Gilman: Edits to third bullet.

Checkpoints

• 1.1: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 345: Greatly simplified. Now in terms of input modalities. Deleted notes as well.
• 1.2: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 323: Text of checkpoint modified. Note modified as well.
• 1.3: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 337: Now allows for more than one std API for the keyboard. Added note about I18N case after checkpoint. For issue 345: Deleted second part of requirement since no longer necessary: "and ensure that every functionality available through the user interface is available through this API."
• 1.4: Deleted sentence after 1.4 saying that a special case of 1.1 (since 1.4 about the UI). Based on WCAG review comments.
• 2.5: New checkpoint per resolution of issue 346. However, taken from last sentence of 2.4.
• 2.8: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 329: Checkpoint text updated.
• 3.2: Per resolution to issue 347: Removed offending sentence about silent rendering.
• 3.5: Added comment about why alert important when no content available since scripts have been turned off.
• 3.6; Added note that the HTTP reference is for authors.
• 3.7: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 342: Editorial changes to checkpoint text.
• 4.2, 4.3: Changed "text" to "rendered text".
• 4.2: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 333: Added note that the UA may use another font family for text content that can't be rendered in the user's preferred font family.
• 4.3, 4.4: Merged into 4.3 per Proposal from Ian.
• 4.11: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 328: Checkpoint text updated, note updated.
• 4.13: Based on comments from Al Gilman: removed definite article. Changed to "independent of" (verified in Am. Heritage dico)
• 4.14: Changes to Note after checkpoint based on 9 November teleconference: deleted information about properties. Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 332: Added "speech dictionary" to list of style requirements of 4.14. (As opposed to adding a new checkpoint just for this).
• 4.17: Editorial merge of two sentences.
• 4.18, 4.20: Minor clarifications about the relationship between these two checkpoints.
• 5.1, 5.2, 5.7: Updated DOM references since DOM specs went to Recommendation. Updates based on discussions with Philippe Le Hegaret. Removed reference to "read-only DOM" since we are not interested in whether the tree itself is read-only. No need to define "read access". Refer to proposed changes based on DOM to Recommendation.
• 5.5: In Note, give example of content in one frame causing changes in another. Based on T.V. Raman comment.
• 7.5: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 330: Talks about script, not natural language. For issue 334: Rewritten to make clearer that a search for chars from the document character set.
• 9.2: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 336: Changed from "Avoid" to "Ensure that default input configs do not interfere with os accessibility conventions."
• 9.4: Change to note to talk about pointing device, not GUI controls. This probably needs review.
• 9.5: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 335: Added clarification to Note that this checkpoint does not require single-key bindings for character input, only for the activation of user agent functionalities.
• 10.2: Edits to note based on Al Gilman comments.

Conformance

Many of the changes to the section on conformance were made as part of implementing the resolution to issue 345.

• The section on conformance was reorganized to emphasize that, by default, you must satisfy all the checkpoints.
• Distinction between "out of scope" and "not applicable".
• New section on "input modality labels".
• Added requirement to well-formed conformance claim section for input modality labels.
• From section on applicability, deleted part about keyboard support since moved to input modality section.
• Moved section on conformance through the ui to sectionon validity of claims.
• New section on responsibility for claims (created from old text).
• Moved conformance claim example to "up front" in the section on conformance so that people know what we're talking about.
• Added clarification that notes are not normative.
• Addition of content labels for conformance next to each pertinent checkpoint. Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 344: Deleted sentence in section on conformance linking content type labels to rfc2046. Removed reference to rfc2046.
• Changed "Text" content label "to VisualText" per Proposal from Ian.
• Based on Al Gilman comments: Some clarification to usage of "subject of a claim". However, did not supress term, but used "user agent" in section 3.1 introduction.
• Based on Al Gilman comments: Removed "valid" from "valid content type label" in all instances.

Glossary

• Updated definition of DOM.
• Added definition of "script" qua writing system. Added cross-reference from "natural language" to "script".
• Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 331: To defn of profile, added natural language as an example of prefs. To config, added sentence about parameterization of configs, including natural language as one parameter.
• For issue 334: Added definition of "document character set".
• Per resolution to issue 347: Modified definition of "rendered content" to be less circular.
• Added definitions of silent/invisible content (and linked to them).

References

• Normative and informative references now split. The normative references are those required for conformance.
• Updated DOM reference since they went to Recommendation. Deleted DOM2HTML.
• Deleted reference to rfc2046 per issue 344.
• Removed AERT references and replaced with ATAG-TECHS per WCAG review comments.
• Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 340: Now use "refer to" for references, "see" for cross-references.

Techniques

• 2.7: Added CSS attrib selector + lang technique
• 2.8: Added info based on checkpoint changes to 2.8.
• 3.2: Added to techniques a warning about silent/invisible solution to meeting this requirement.
• 3.4: Fixed techniques.
• 4.1, 4.12: Per 16/17 November ftf meeting, for issue 331: Added techniques to 4.1 (text size) and 4.12 (speech rate) about per-language configs.
• 4.11: Added English example, added point about convenient increments (taken from checkpoint text).
• 6.2: Changes based on proposed revision to 6.2.
• 7.5: For i