Quick Take 1 of Rewriting Guidelines according to new approach

Gregg Vanderheiden 3/28/2003

NOTES and DEFINITIONS

Levels

L1 – No constraints on presentation – Just making content accessible by (software) Agents.

L2 – Constraints on presentation of content to make it accessible to more without needing AT

L3 – Make a duplicate Tuned version or Tuned site for specific population(s)

Definitions

• FBA - Free Baseline Agent - an agent defined by W3C as the Baseline Agent and available for free to users.

• PATS – Public Available Transcoding Server.    PATS must be implemented in ways that allow them to be localized to different languages.

• SAS – Special Agent Software=  either FBA or PATS

• RTS – Reference Transcoding Server – A server that can be used to check content for conformance.  It reflects the abilities currently available in (free) Publicly Available Transcoding Servers (PATSs) and Free Baseline Agents (FBAs).  RT servers are upgraded over time to reflect the current state of the FBAs and PATSs.    RT servers are always backward compatible.   That is, content that passed with earlier RTs would pass with later RTs.    

As PATSs and FBAs are improved, Reference Transcoding servers are updated to reflect the ability of these public technologies to handle new types of internet technologies.

RTS – would separately report ability for FBAs and PATSs to handle content and could also report their availability in different languages and locations.

Compliance Notes

@@ insert something here from dictation?

A. Make content Perceivable

Level 1- Machine Perceivable / Translatable (by Special Agent Software)

PM 1- Content or functions of content (or aspects of content) that can be expressed concisely in words can be presented as words by Reference Transcoding Server.

1. Content or functions of content (that can be expressed in words) can be rendered as words (text equivalents) by SAS.
   1. Text equivalents have been reviewed and found to provide the same function as original content.
2. When content or functions (or their result) cannot be expressed as words, then those aspects of the content (such as name or description if present) are renderable as words by SAS.
   

PM 2- It is possible for Special Agent Software (SAS) to synchronize different available presentations

[ different forme need  to exist]

PM 3- Structure (organization) of content is readable by Special Agent Software (SAS) [1.3,  1.4]

Level 2 – Presentation of content has been designed/changed to facilitate direct user perception using mainstream user agents without Assistive Technologies

1- Structure is emphasized enough that it is [more] easily perceived by users. [3.1]

2- Foreground information can be perceived by users from background.

B. Make content operable

Level 1- Machine Operable (by Special Agent Software (SAS))

1. Functionality whose name or outcome can be expressed concisely in words is operable from basic keyboard keystrokes  [2.1]
2. To allow Special Agent Software (SAS) to create presentations that allow user control of timing wherever possible at least one of the following is true for each time limit:  [2.2]
   1. the user is allowed to deactivate the time limits,
   2. or the user is allowed to adjust the time limit over a wide range which is at least 10 times the average user's preference,
   3. or the user is warned before time expires and given at least 10 seconds to extend the time limit,
   4. or the time limit is due to a real-time event (e.g. auction) and no alternative to the time limit is possible,
   5. or the time limit is part of a competitive activity where timing is an essential part of the activity (e.g. competitive gaming or time based testing)
3. Content is presented such that Special Agent Software (SAS) can prevent presentation of content that would trigger seizures.  [2.3]
4. If "valid" response set or range is known, it is provided to SAS in SAS Supported form.  (Required for choices of 100 or less. Recommended for greater than 100 where practical.)    

Level 2 – Content has been designed/changed to facilitate direct user operation using mainstream browsers without Assistive Technologies.

1. Structure and/or alternative navigation mechanisms have been added to facilitate orientation and movement in content.  (especially documents greater than 50,000 words or sites larger than 50 perceived pages.)
   1. Additional hierarchical structure markup
   2. Table of contents
   3. Alternate display orders
2. Content is designed with error avoidance, detection and recovery in mind.    {Vague?  We decided to not have "review" as criterion – yes?"

Level 3 – Content has been tuned to work particularly well with particular types of disabilities

1. Content is designed to allow SAS to create a logical linear reading order.
2. Diagrams are constructed in a fashion so that they have structure that can be accessed by SAS.
3. Documents or information collections that are divided up but generally used as a whole can be downloaded as a unit.    { Reunite them on request?  Have a way to allow SAS to re-unite them or treat them as one (e.g. searching only the parts of this one doc)?  }
4. The following error prevention and recovery methods are used
   1. where possible, the user is allowed to select from a list of options as well as to generate input text directly
   2. errors are identified specifically and suggestions for correction are provided where possible
   3. checks for misspelled words are applied and correct spellings are suggested when text entry is required.
   4. where consequences are significant and time-response is not important, one of the following is true
      1. actions are reversible where possible
      2. where not reversible, actions are checked for errors in advance.
      3. where not reversible, and not checkable, a confirmation is asked before acceptance

C.  Make content understandable

Level 1- Machine Understandable (by Special Agent Software (SAS))

1. Language of content can be unambiguously determined   (by Special Agent Software - SAS).
2. The meaning of the words, abbreviations and Acronyms can be unambiguously determined (by SAS).
3. Content can be re-rendered with consistent layout and behavior (by SAS).

Level 2 – Content has been designed/changed to facilitate direct user comprehension of content using mainstream user agents.

1. Content has been written to be no more complex than is necessary
2. Layout and behavior of content is consistent but not identical.
3. Additional labels or descriptions are provided for content that cannot itself be described concisely in words.

Level 3 – Content has been tuned to facilitate the ability of people with some disabilities to Understand content.

1. Content is re-written in one or more simpler forms
   1. Language level is controlled.
2. Text has been supplemented with non-text content meaningful to the target audience..

Make Content Robust

Level 1 – Technologies chosen to create content works well with SAS servers.

1. Technology(s) used are supported by SAS sufficiently to meet all RT-SAS requirements and are used according to specification.
2. If interface elements in content cannot be re-presented by SAS servers (as HTML??) then either
   1. A second version of the content is available which does allow this,  or
   2. The content meets the Software and User Agent Access Guidelines cited below
      1. UAAG 1.0 Level A 
         • {QUESTION:  ALL of level A?)

Level 2 – Technologies chosen to create content…