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Evaluation and Repair Tools Techniques Issues List

Last revised: $Date: 2004/01/13 23:01:37 $

This page tracks issues raised between releases of Working Drafts of the Techniques for Accessibility Evaluation and Repair Tools Document.

If there is an issue that is not on this list, or that is misrepresented or inadequately summarized, please send your comments to w3c-wai-er-ig@w3.org or contact the editor, Wendy Chisholm.


Table of Contents of All Issues

Open issues (WCAG)

Open issues (ATAG)

Open Issues (XTECH)

Closed Issues


Open Issues (WCAG)

11. Check APPLET and OBJECT for any HTML element [WCAG HTML Tech]

13. Associating equivalents with what they represent [WCAG]

16. Checks for ISMAP [WCAG HTML Tech]

18. Accessible SMIL files [WCAG SMIL Tech]

22. Check document for missing quote markup [WCAG HTML Tech]

30. Alternative pages [WCAG w/cc to AU]

32. Pop-up windows [WCAG]

33. There must be only one H1 element in the document [WCAG]

34. Mark up lists and list items properly [WCAG]

35. Use markup to associate data cells and header cells [WCAG]

36. Check table for valid "summary" attribute [WCAG]

37. User notification of style sheet use. [WCAG]

38. Quantifying flicker [WCAG]

39. Use W3C technologies [WCAG]

40. Alternative pages [WCAG]

41. Supplemental link info [WCAG]

42. Attaching semantics to classes [WCAG]

45. Detecting accessibility issues in scripts [WCAG]

46. Null alt-text [WCAG Techniques closed issue #23]

The WCAG WG closed this issue at the 15 June 2000 telecon. The WCAG Techniques for HTML still needs to be updated to reflect this decision. AERT/AU-TECHS should incorporate this decision once its made.

49. Check table for caption [WCAG]

The requirement for this technique (5.5.2) is left blank. The only guidance that WCAG 1.0 gives is in the HTML Techniques document under "providing summary information." I believe this is an open issue for WCAG to address in the techniques documents. WCAG 2.0 (12 January 2001) version has a checkpoint that says, "Summarize complex information." Techniques and tests will clearly fit under this checkpoint.

50. Suggested repair for updating equivalents of dynamic content [WCAG Scripting Tech]

There is a question about creating wrappers (either HTML or JavaScript) of dynamic content to make it accessible in relation to FRAME and IFRAME elements. Also, "any actions that change the display must change the equivalent @@Is this computable in a practical time (cf. NP complete) .  Computer science help needed here.  Of course, as in other parts of document, the fact that the equivalent changes is no guarantee that equivalent is correct than it is guaranteed that "alt" text for an image is correct."

52. Checking for device independent event handlers [WCAG Scripting Tech]

53. Ensuring scripted content is accessible or provide equivalent [WCAG Scripting Tech]

Currently, there is not text for Technique 6.5.2 [priority 2]. Need something for scripts and programmatic objects? is this covered by 6.3.1 (Verify that the page is usable when programmatic objects are disabled)? WC believes that these are very different: 6.3 says that when scripts are not run the page is still usable. 6.5 says that when scripts are run the page is usable. Therefore, we need to create tests for ensuring that scripts are accessible as well as pages are accessible when scripts are not run.

54. Repair for controlling moving content [WCAG HTML Tech]

There is a suggested repair for script, but a question about content included via OBJECT, EMBED, and APPLET elements. [Technique 7.3.2 April 2000 draft].

55. Describe linearizer heuristics [WCAG HTML Tech]

There is a placeholder in the repair for Technique 10.3.1 to include the heuristics used by tablin to create a linearized version of a table.

56. Check that documents are served per user preference [WCAG Server-side Tech]

It is unclear how to evaluate for this [Technique 11.3.1 April 2000 draft] . Perhaps this be handed off to the group working on these techniques in WCAG?

57. WCAG 1.0 Checkpoints with no info [WCAG]

Currently no suggestions for the following checkpoints.

27 July 2001 - WC proposes that most of these will be covered by the WCAG 2.0 success criteria, and that once defined by WCAG becomes an ATAG-TECHS issue for how to automate/walk a user through.

60. Appendicies [WCAG Techs]

Several of the appendicies are placeholders. Is the information available somewhere and it just need to be gathered or is research required to fill these in?

27 July 2001 - Believe these will be identified in the various WCAG Techniques documents (primarily HTML).

61. Proposed clarifications to HTML Techniques [WCAG HTML Techs]

62. Incorporate AERT suggestions into WCAG techniques [WCAG Techs]

15 January 2001 - ERT includes some detail that would be beneficial for WCAG Techniques documents.


Open Issues (ATAG)

12. Valid "longdesc" [ATAG]

14. Elements that might have audio [ATAG]

15. Checks for NOSCRIPT [ATAG]

20. Allow user to change the units of measure. [ATAG]

23. ABBR values should be shorter than 15 characters. [ATAG]

25. Testing embedded technologies [ATAG]

26. Server-side to client-side image map conversion [ATAG]

31. Provide general information about a site [ATAG]

48. Checking for quoted text [ATAG]

In the AERT the issue is, "how can we determine if text should be marked up as a quote?" One suggestion is "lots of emphasized text." There is a question about how many words. This seems to be an ERT/ATAG issue, but one that would require some research to determine a limit on the number of words.

51. Identifying OBJECTs [ATAG]

We have been unable to determine what the appropriate OBJECT  type="??" for applets and other programmatic objects. Refer to technique 6.2.2 in the April 2000 draft. This also applies to techniques 6.3.1 and 6.4.1.

58. Create two techniques for checkpoint 13.2? [ATAG]

First technique checks for META, ADDRESS, TITLE and LINK elements. Should there be a separate one for RDF [Technique 13.2.2]?

59. Site vs. Page

Checkpoint 14.3requires looking across the site. Do we need to suggest two levels of checking? 1. between page or site-wide 2. within pages?


Open Issues (XTECH)

17. Multimedia [XTECH]


Closed Issues

1. Technique short phrases

2. Priorities of techniques differ from checkpoints

3. links to WCAG techniques document

4. Note or Recommendation?

5. "Crying wolf"

6. Combine similar techniques?

7. Check APPLET for "alt" always needed?

8. FRAME "title" check not automatic

10. Checking for longdesc

19. User notification for appropriate markup language

21. Header nesting

24. User notification of dynamic content changes

28. Keyboard shortcuts

29. Title

9. Author indications that a warning has been checked

27. Logical tab order

43. Priorities for techniques based on level of heuristics

47. Checking A elements for valid text content

In the AERT the issue is, "is this handled by technique 13.1.1". WC thinks it is and proposes the issue be closed. 15 January 2001.

44. HTTP headers - check for refresh?


$Date: 2004/01/13 23:01:37 $ Wendy Chisholm