C. Comments on ATAG 2.0 Glossary
--------------------------------------------

Explanation of the following comments:

The EOWG has set up a "Lexicon Task Force" that is developing a "Beginners' 
Lexicon for WAI Documents". This will be short lexicon with definitions in 
clear and simple language and contextualized to Web accessibility. The 
primary purpose of this beginners' lexicon is to assist translators of WAI 
documents, though it also may be helpful to people new to Web accessibility.

The following definitions are ones where we would be likely to change them 
slightly or significantly from what is in the glossary section of your 
current draft, as shown below, when incorporating them in the Beginner's 
Lexicon for WAI Documents. We invite you to examine these definitions for 
two reasons: to see if you disagree with any of our re-statements of your 
definitions, and to consider whether any of the following definitions would 
be more suitable for use within the ATAG 2.0 glossary than the definitions 
currently present.

More background on the Lexicon Task Force is available below [1].

- Accessible Web content
Accessible Web content is sufficiently free of accessibility problems to be 
usable by everyone regardless of disability or environment.

- Attribute
Information that explains, identifies or modifies an element in a markup 
language. Element types may have more than one attribute, like 'class', 
'title', 'width' and 'height'. Some attributes are integral to the 
accessibility of content (for example, the 'alt', 'title', and 'longdesc' 
attributes in HTML)

- Audio Descriptions
Audio description (also called "Described Video") is an equivalent 
alternative that provides aural information about actions, body language, 
graphics, and scene changes in a video. Audio descriptions are commonly 
used by people who are blind or have low vision, although they may also be 
used as a low-bandwidth equivalent on the Web. An audio description is 
either a pre-recorded human voice or a synthesized voice (recorded or 
automatically generated in real time). The audio description must be 
synchronized with the auditory track of a video presentation, usually 
during natural pauses in the auditory track.

- Authoring Tool
Any software or service that is used to produce content for publishing on 
the Web. Authoring tools include Web content editors, document conversion 
tools, and software that generates Web content from databases.

- Captions
Captions are equivalent alternatives that consist of a text transcript of 
the auditory
  track of a movie (or other video presentation) and that is synchronized 
with the video
  and auditory tracks. Captions are generally rendered graphically. They 
benefit people who
  are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and anyone who cannot hear the audio (for 
example, someone
  in a noisy environment).

- Conversion
A conversion is a process that takes, as input, content in one format and 
produces, as
  output, content in another format (for example, "Save as HTML" functions).

- Device independence
The use of a webpage or event handler with any kind of input device. 
Scripting should be
  device-independent or provide multiple input and output options for 
different devices.
  For example, onDblClick requires a mouse; there is no keyboard equivalent 
for double
  clicking. Input devices may include pointing devices (such as the mouse), 
keyboards,
  Braille devices, head wands, microphones, and others.

- Equivalent Alternative
An equivalent alternative is content that is an acceptable substitute for 
other content
  that an end-user may not be able to access. An equivalent alternative 
fulfils essentially
  the same function or purpose as the original content upon presentation to 
the end-user.
  Equivalent alternatives include text alternatives, which present a text 
version of the
  information conveyed in non-text content such as graphics and audio 
clips. Equivalent
  alternatives also include "media alternatives", which present essential 
audio information
  visually (captions) and essential video information auditorily (audio 
descriptions).

- Markup language
A markup language is a syntax and/or set of rules to manage content and 
structure of a
  document or object (for example, HTML , SVG , or MathML).

- Repairing, Accessibility
Accessibility repairing is the process by which Web content accessibility 
problems that
  have been identified within Web content are resolved. ATAG 2.0 identifies 
three
  categories of repair: Automated (that is, the authoring tool is able to 
make repairs
  automatically, with no author input required), Semi-Automated (that is, 
the authoring
  tool can provide some automated assistance to the author in performing 
corrections, but
  the author's input is still required before the repair can be complete) 
and Manual (that
  is, the authoring tool provides the author with instructions for making 
the necessary
  correction, but does not automate the task in any substantial way).

- Techniques
Techniques are informative suggestions and examples for ways in which the 
success criteria
  of a checkpoint might be satisfied and implemented.

- Transcript
A transcript is an equivalent text alternative for the sounds, narration, 
and dialogue in
  an audio clip or an auditory track of a multimedia presentation. For a 
video, the
  transcript can also include the description of actions, body language, 
graphics, and
  scene changes of the visual track.

- User Agent
Software to access Web content, including desktop graphical browsers, text 
browsers, voice
  browsers, mobile phones, multimedia players, plug-ins, and some software 
assistive
  technologies used in conjunction with browsers such as screen readers, screen
  magnifiers, and voice recognition software.


[1] Info on EO Lexicon Task Force:
- First draft of a Lexicon overview:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/lexicon/Overview.html
- Lexicon requirements document:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/changelogs/cl-lexicon
- Lexicon Task Force Work Statement:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/2004/lexicon.html
- Lexicon list archives:
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-wai-eo-lexicon