Guideline 2: Generate standard markup.

ATAG Checkpoint 2.1: Use the latest versions of W3C Recommendations when they are available and appropriate for a task. [Priority 2]

Techniques:

• When creating documents or markup languages, make full use of W3C Recommendations. For example, use MathML for mathematical Web content and XHTML, MathML, and DOM scripting to implement dynamic-interactive spreadsheets. [T0082]
• In some cases a W3C Recommendation formatted version may be offered in addition to a proprietary format. Tools that dynamically generate Web content may use HTTP content negotiation to facilitate this. [T0084]
• Do not publish Web content in markup languages that do not allow for equivalent alternative information to be included for media-specific presentations (such as images or video, sound, etc.). Where this cannot be avoided, make the information directly available from the content generated. For example, convert the text equivalent of an image to a caption for the image, or provide a "base" page that includes links to alternative versions of content. [T0083]
• Although markup languages and formats that become W3C Recommendations after an authoring tool's development cycle permit input are not considered "available" in time, modular design of tools provides for new markup languages and formats to be supported late in the development cycle or even after deployment. [T0085]

Reference:

• W3C maintains a Technical Reports and Publications page. @@Is this preferable to annotated list of recs. that we must keep updated?@@
• Language specific accessibility notes: CSS, SMIL, HTML4, SVG, XML languages.

ATAG Checkpoint 2.2: Ensure that markup which the tool automatically generates is valid for the language the tool is generating. [Priority 1]

Techniques:

• Ensure that the markup produced by the tool, in any of its supported languages, is valid. [T0086]
• Publish proprietary language specifications or DTD's on the Web, to allow documents to be validated. [T0087]
• Use namespaces and schemas to make documents that can be automatically transformed to a known markup language. [T0088]
• If markup produced by the tool does not conform to W3C specifications, inform the author. (e.g. statement on the saving dialog, an alert that is displayed following a save or inline highlighting through the use of style sheets, etc.). [T0089, T0090] @@New technique made from ATAG1 2.3@@
• If the tool produces inaccessible markup, whether it is valid or not, see the checking Techniques for ATAG checkpoint 5.1. [T0091] @@New technique made from ATAG1 2.3@@

Guideline 3: Support accessible authoring practices.

ATAG checkpoint 3.1: Ensure that the author can produce accessible content in the markup language(s) supported by the tool. [Priority 1]

Techniques:

• Ensure the tool supports all the structural features of the supported languages. [T0001]
• Allow the author to directly edit the source markup (so knowledgeable authors can ensure accessible content). [T0002]
• When an extended (superset) or simplified (subset) markup language is supported, ensure that the accessibility features in the base language are still available. [T0003]
• Allow the addition of equivalent alternatives for all supported image formats that allow text content, including PNG, SVG, WebCGM, JPEG, and GIF. [T0004]
• Enable the author to produce metadata that can be used to construct an accessible version of the output. For example, when producing image formats that do not allow the inclusion of alternative information within them, use Dublin Core metadata to incorporate description, title information, or "foaf" metadata to identify people depicted in images. [T????] @@CMN Proposal@@
• Notify the author, if a given output format is not accessible (so they can decide to use a different format). [T????] @@CMN Proposal@@

Reference:

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 WCAG10 and Techniques (Full, Core, HTML, CSS).
• Language specific accessibility notes: CSS, SMIL, HTML4, SVG, XML languages.

ATAG checkpoint 3.2: Ensure that the tool preserves all accessibility information during transformations, and conversions. [Priority 1]

Techniques:

• This checkpoint covers systems that digest documents and reconstitute them in standardized formats. [T????] @@F2F Proposal@@
• Ensure that the tool preserves all the elements and attributes defined in the relevant specification(s) even if it is unable to render them in a publishing view or preview mode. [T0005]
• Allow the author to decide whether or not to preserve unrecognized markup (since it might be related to accessibility). [T0006] @@from ATAG1 4.3@@
• If changes to markup that is not recognized by the tool are necessary for the tool to further process the document (for example, a tool that requires valid markup when a document is opened), inform the author. [T0203] @@from ATAG1 4.3@@
• Provide options for the author to confirm or override removal of markup on a change-by-change basis or as a batch process. [T0204] @@from ATAG1 4.3@@
• Do not change the DTD without notifying the author. [T0206] @@from ATAG1 4.3@@
• Consider explaining automatic changes made by the tool to the author. [T????] @@F2F Proposal@@
• Allow authors to edit document conversion templates to specify the way presentation conventions should be converted into structural markup. [T0008]
• Ensure that changes to a document's graphical layout do not reduce readability when rendered serially. For example, confirm the linearized reading order with the author. [T0012]
• Some examples of conversion best practices include: @@Use of "conversion best practice"@@
  • Avoid transforming text into images. Use style sheets for presentation control, or use an XML application such as Scalable Vector Graphics [SVG] that keeps the text as text. If this is not possible, ensure that the text is available as equivalent text for the image. [T0010]
  • When importing images with associated descriptions into a markup document, make the descriptions available through appropriate markup. [T0009]
  • When transforming a table to a list or list of lists, ensure that table headings are transformed into headings and that summary or caption information is retained as rendered content. [T0007]
  • When converting linked elements (i.e. footnotes, endnotes, call-outs, annotations, references, etc.) provide them as inline content or maintain two-way linking. [T0013]
  • When converting from an unstructured word-processor format to markup, ensure that headings and list items are transformed into appropriate structural markup (appropriate level of heading or type of list, etc.). [T0011]
  • When generating a natural language translation of text, produce the simplest and clearest possible use of the new language. [T????] @@CMN Proposal-LN believes this needs more clarification@@

ATAG Checkpoint 3.3: Ensure that when the tool automatically generates markup it conforms to the W3C's WCAG. [Relative Priority]

Techniques:

• Ensure that when the tool automatically generates content and markup @@Does this cover content other than tagging?@@ (e.g. the author has not specifically specified the markup to be used), that markup conforms to the following WCAG checkpoints. (Note: An asterix (*) denotes those WCAG checkpoints that involve the inclusion of equivalent alternative information. For these WCAG checkpoints, see the Techniques for ATAG checkpoint 4.3 for restrictions on automatically generating equivalent alternatives and the Techniques for ATAG checkpoint 4.1 for prompting guidance) [T0014]:
  • List of Relevant WCAG checkpoints.@@WCAG 1.0 list hidden@@

ATAG Checkpoint 3.4 : Ensure that all pre-authored content for the tool conforms to WCAG. [Relative Priority]

Note: Pre-authored content refers to markup content, images, multimedia, applets, scripts, etc. Including pre-written descriptions for all multimedia files (e.g., clip-art) packaged with the tool will save authors time and effort, cause a significant number of professionally written descriptions to circulate on the Web, provide authors with convenient models to emulate when they write their own descriptions, and show authors the importance of description writing.

Techniques:

• For tools that allow authors to create their own templates, advise the author that templates should be held to a high accessibility standard, since they will be repeatedly reused. Help the author reach this goal by making an accessibility check mandatory before saving as a template. [T0080]
• Provide pre-authored content in formats that allow for accessible annotation to be included in the files, such as SMIL, PNG, and SVG. [T????]
• Ensure that all pre-authored content provided by the tool conform to the following WCAG checkpoints [T0081]:
  • List of Relevant WCAG checkpoints.@@WCAG 1.0 list hidden@@

Samples:

• The following are examples of accessible templates (Note: not all the features of these templates are supported by all browsers):
  • Template 1: Home page
  • Template 2: News and events page
  • Template 3: About page
  • Stylesheet: Used by sample templates

ATAG Checkpoint 3.5 : Allow the author to preserve markup not recognized by the tool. [Priority 2]

Note: The author may have included or imported markup that enhances accessibility but is not recognized by the tool.

Techniques:

• If possible, preserve all unrecognized markup, since it might be related to accessibility (See Techniques for ATAG Checkpoint 3.2). [T0202]
• If changes to markup that is not recognized by the tool are necessary for the tool to further process the document (for example, a tool that requires valid markup when a document is opened), inform the author. [T0203]
• Provide options for the author to confirm or override removal of markup on a change-by-change basis or as a batch process. [T0204]
• Do not change the DTD without notifying the author.[T0206]

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