Change Log: Introduction to Web Accessibility

This page records changes made to the WAI resource: Introduction to Web Accessibility. Please send additions or corrections to wai-eo-editors@w3.org.

Last updated on $Date: 2005/09/07 01:17:47 $ by $Author: shawn $

on this page: Changes since Version 1.0 | About (Requirements) | Pre-Version 1 Changelog

Proposed changes not yet implemented

1. confirm addressed issues at: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-eo/2005JulSep/0056.html
2. [on hold] Put the terminology notes in a side column (see I18N)

Changes since Version 1.0

Version 2.0

1. [2005-08August] significant rewrite of several sections

Version 1.1

1. [2005-02Feb-03] added link to Spanish translation

About the Introduction to Web Accessibility (Mini Requirements)

Purpose

• Primary purpose: a short introduction to Web accessibility for newbies
• Secondary purpose: link to resources that provide more information on the topics covered

Introducing people to all the WAI resources is not a purpose of this document.

Audience

• Primary audience is people who are new to Web accessibility, including all users roles

Other audience notes:

• People translating the document
  • People reading it in another language
• People using this information in presentations, articles, etc.
  • People receiving the presentation, article, etc.

Notes

• See also Requirements for Introduction Pages for WAI Site
• It will be a challenge to keep this short, preferably 2 printed pages.
• This document is not the place to tackle myths and clarify misconceptions. We need to be careful not to perpetuate myths and misconceptions; however, we also need to use simple language and simple concepts.
• Current thoughts are that with this and the new site design in place (which makes it easier to know what resources are available), the current Getting Started page will be discontinued.

Pre-Version 1 Changelog

Changes from 25 September

• [DONE] revised "Making the Web Acccessible" section

Changes from 17 August

• [DONE] added "Notes on Terminology" at the end

Change requests from 6 August 2004

• [DONE] to "Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the Web. This includes that people can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web effectively" add the idea - something like "as well as create and contribute to..."
• [DONE] first section, last paragraph: change "For more information on how organizations benefit from Web accessibility, see "Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization." to "For more information, see "Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization."
• [DONE] first section, last paragraph: ", and older people." to ", and some older people."
• [NOT done... did, but then took it out - i think it adds unnecessary complication in this sentences and is adequately covered elsewhere] "There are millions of people who have disabilities that affect their use of the Web. Currently most Web sites" add "and Web software"
• [DONE] look at moving "Web Accessibility Barriers" paragraph to the first section, without the subhead
• [DONE] Making a Web Site Accessible -- "However, retrofitting existing sites can require significant effort, especially sites that do not meet other standards, such as XHTML, and sites with certain types of content, such as multimedia." some people might not understand that you might not have to comply with standards - non-standard or inconsistent markup HTML correct OR take it out altogether and go right to implementation link
• [DONE] evaluating section. incorporate idea of evaluating early & throughout development - probably change first sentence, "Web accessibility can be evaluated at different levels."
• [DONE (listed at end of this document)] put "Links in this Document" in a list for a later version, e.g., in a print stylesheet.

Change requests from 23 July 2004

• [DONE] (first paragraph) Web accessibility means that pwd can use the Web effectively. OR Web accessibility means that pwd can use the Web
  1. [DONE] connect the term web accessibility to disability
  2. [DONE] indicate the breadth of disability we're talking about
  3. [DONE] indicate the breadth of what we mean by using the web
  4. [DONE] try leaving out the word "primary"
  5. [DONE] ...and create web pages OR contribute to the Web
     [ notes from first pass: 1. would require too much explaining and complicate the simple message up front, 2. is covered (albeit not explicitly) throughout, "actively participate", "The Web offers... interaction for people", " if Web software tools and Web sites were made accessible" 3. discussion of this point in http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/bcase/soc#social is referenced in next section, 4. albeit important, not a primary focus. 5. both suggestions problematic]
• [DONE - with list of disabilities] Break out "how pwd use the web" into its own paragraph
  • [DONE] replace with the old sentence structure, more straightforward, but use sub-links to the specific sections
• [DONE] (current second paragraph) Trying breaking apart the first sentence of the second paragraph
  • [DONE, based on other edits] change to sylvie's suggestion of organizational issues... (#7)
  • [DONE] try simplifying the sentence structure (for example "key principles of web accessibility are...." instead of "flexibility .... is a key principle...")
• [DONE] why is web accessibility important
  • [DONE] add recreation to discreet list of areas
  • [DONE] substitute: "Currently most Web sites have accessibility barriers..." from Chuck and simplify language from William
  • [DONE] editor's discretion: please make this more readable: ""The opportunity that the Web offers of unprecedented access to information and interaction for people with disabilities is addressed in Web Accessibility is a Social Issue."
• [DONE] making the web accessible
  • [DONE] editor smooth out the first sentence. [use old section about the responsibilities of web developers]
  • [DONE] try breaking it into two buckets: people and tools.
  • [DONE] maybe move up "most sites today..."
  • [DONE] accept shadi's suggestion for adding "or redesign projects"
  • [DONE] "Making a Specific Site Accessible" change to "Making a Web Site Accessible
• [DONE] general
  • [DONE - I thought I would be able to take out more; however, I became concerned about the statements being taken out of context - I'm very welcome to more discussion and request to take out more] editor's discretion: try to trim the use of "Web", and check the consistency of use of the terms "site" and "Web site", and/or introduce terms + abbreviations
  • [DONE] editor review "users" in document & clarify where needed, especially where helle commented

Issues for 23 July 2004

Version: 2004.07.20

What is Web Accessibility

1. I like the second sentence. Suggest that the order of the first and second sentences be reversed. [Libby]
2. I like the first paragraph of the document a lot. Will "How People with Disabilities Use the Web" be also made into a link once its available? [Shadi]
3. "Web accessibility focuses on developing the Web so that people with
   disabilities can use it effectively. More specifically, the primary goal of
   Web accessibility is that people with visual, auditory, physical, speech,
   cognitive, and neurological impairments can perceive, understand, navigate,
   and interact with Web sites."

   "developing the Web" is ambiguous to me. We are not about developing the
   Web but about making the creation/use of the content thereof accessible.
   [William]
   
   reply:
   Sorry, I don't understand the difference you are trying to point out, please explain a little more clearly.
   In order to use the content of the Web, the underlying protocols and tools must also support accessibility. What is left of the Web which we don't address? [Shadi]

4. What is Web Accessibility (a question) and I find it difficult to see or understand the first sentence as an answer to this question, I have problems with the concept. My suggestion is to change the sentence from: "Web accessibility focuses on developing the Web so that people with disabilities can use it effectively."
   To:
   "Web accessibility means that people with disability can use the web effectively".
   [Helle]

5. I wish we could find a much-abbreviated version of "people with visual,
   auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological impairments". [William]
   
   In order to make the list of impairments shorter could we say: communication, mobility, and cognitive impairments? I can't remember if we already have tried these terms and rejected them.
   [Helle]

6. I would like to see *creation* of Web content more specifically included
   since this has been a constant crusade. We tend to drift into the mind-set
   of Web use as that of an audience - it is vital that we emphasiz(s)e the
   postingto, not just the reading of the Web. [William]

7. - Current wording: "Organizations can also benefit from Web accessibility,
   which is addressed in "
   Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization."

   - concerns: it is not clear to me what is adressed in the linked document.

   - Suggestion for revision:
   The way organizations can also benefit from Web accessibility is addressed in " Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization."
   [Sylvie]

Why Web Accessibility is Important

1. In paragraph 2 "Why Web Accessibility is Important", I am missing leisure (i.e. day-to-day) as one of the key factors but I'm not sure how to word it or fit it in. [Shadi]
2. such phrases as "... designed with accessibility barriers that create unnecessary difficulties..." beg (or even cry out) for monosyllabification. Something like "make Web use hard"? [William]
3. I think the discussion about "barriers" to Web use do well to parallel the
   well-understood physical/architectural barriers with the kind we deal with:
   perhaps "functional" barriers?
   [William]
4. Paragraph 2, Sentence 2 reads:
   "Currently most Web sites are designed with accessibility barriers that create unnecessary difficulties for many people with disabilities or even prevent them from using the site at all."
   "... are designed with ... " seems to suggest that inaccessible design is a conscious decision (i.e. made by evil content providers) when we generally accept (don't we?) that much inaccessible design happens due to lack of awareness.

   How about:
   "Currently most Web sites have accessibility barriers that create unnecessary difficulties for many people with disabilities or even prevent them from using the site at all."
   This is simpler and less confrontational, in my mind
   [Chuck]

5. Third sentence:
   - Current: wording:
   "The opportunity that the Web offers of unprecedented access to information
   and interaction for people with disabilities is addressed in Web Accessibility is a Social Issue."

   - Concerns this sentence is not clear for me.
   - Unfortunately no suggestions.
   [Sylvie]

Making the Web Accessible

1. "Making the Web Accessible": in my opinion I feel that the first paragraph does not speak to me as someone new to Web accessibility as it goes into too much details about tools and technologies. How about making this paragraph even more higher level and move this paragraph as is to a new sub-heading called "Web Tools" or something like that (also to explain what is meant by "Web tools" which is used throughout the document)? [Shadi]
2. Have we discussed to use lists (<li>) in stead of comma (,) in e.g. Making the Web Accessible Web accessibility is dependent on many factors, including Web site developers, Web browsers and media players, assistive technologies, authoring tools and evaluation tools, Web technologies, and users, as explained in "Components of Web Accessibility <http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/UCD/components> ." The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) <http://www.w3.org/WAI/about.html> develops guidelines for these components, that are international standards for Web accessibility. Could look like:

   Making the Web Accessible
   Web accessibility is dependent on many factors, including (what have we left out in this list?)
   Developers
   Browsers
   Media players
   Assistive technologies
   Authoring tools
   Evaluation tools
   Web technologies
   Users (end users or ?)
   More details and explanations can be found in "Components of Web Accessibility <http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/UCD/components> ." The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) <http://www.w3.org/WAI/about.html>
   develops guidelines for some of these components, that are international standards for Web accessibility.
   [Helle]

Making a Specific Site Accessible

1. Finally and to be picky, in "Making a Specific Site Accessible" I suggest to add "or redesign projects" to the end of the second sentence in the first paragraph. [Shadi]

General

1. I have a more general question: is it necessary to use the word Web so many times? Especially in the chapter: Making the Web Accessible. [Helle]
2. Throughout the document the terms "site" and "web site" seems to have been used a little inconsistently. [Helle]

Changes from 20 July 2004

• [DONE] several edits requested by Judy to Version 2004.07.16

Changes from 18 June 2004

• [DONE] title change to something like, "An Introduction to Web Accessibility."
• [DONE] look at integrating the links, e.g., making the text primary and link secondary
• [DONE] first sentence: make disability first, and benefits others. not "everyone" and perhaps moving benefits to other earlier and add examples. perhaps move third sentence higher... consider saying "people who have difficulty seeing, hearing...", _perhaps_ using functional limitations [although kinda jargony - if so, mark to test it]... probably avoid "usable"
• [DONE] check the list for discussion of example(s)

Changes from 11 June 2004

• [DONE] significantly edit
• [DONE] at beginning, keep the focus on disability, yet maybe add "everybody" and make it clear it applies broadly
• [DONE] leave the examples, try formatting them more similar
• [DONE] change examples from image descriptions to no mouse
• [DONE] fix, "Accessibility also benefits people without disabilities who use accessible Web sites"
• [DONE] try to move older people in who benefits and out of More on
• [DONE] try putting More on in main text
• [DONE] add back in the legal sentence
• [DONE] edit down the paragraphs under "Why Web Accessibility is Important"
• [DONE] add to "Making Web Sites Accessible" that there are guidelines

Review questions 9 June 2004

1. General reactions...
2. Does this have the right information? Should a topic be omiited? Should a topic be added?
3. Does this have the right amount of information? Should a topic be covered in more detail? Should a topic be covered in less detail?
4. Can it be made shorter and simpler? Should the examples be on a separate page? Or, should there be two versions of the page, one version with examples and one versions without examples?
5. Are the right resources referenced ("More on..." sections)? Should a reference be omitted? Should a reference be added?
6. Which areas need editing?
7. Other comments...

Ideas for Later or Next Version

• put "Links in this Document" in a list for a later version, e.g., in a print stylesheet.

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