Changes between 10 Feb 1999 and 9 Mar 1999 User Agent Guidelines

Resources

• User Agent Working Group Home page
• Current guidelines: 9 Mar 1999 (Working Group) draft Guidelines
• Current techniques: 9 Mar 1999 (Working Group) draft of techniques
• 10 Feb 1999 (Working Group) draft of Guidelines
• 10 Feb 1999 (Working Group) draft of Techniques
• User Agent Mailing List Archives
• Issues List
• History of changes
• 26 Feb 1999 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

General

• Now uses W3C global style sheets for technical reports. Also, priority one information appears in red.
• Moved some content around where it would make more sense.

Changes to Guidelines Document

Section 1: Introduction

• Edits to intro text based on Web Content Guidelines intro text.
• Removed "independent UA" (covered by desktop graphical user agent)
• Changed "what should I do to improve accessibility" based on Hans Riesebos comment
• Made "Principles of Accessible Design" its own section (1.1) with subsections

Section 2: Guidelines, Checkpoints, and Techniques

• 2.1 Changed Priority 2 wording based on Web Content Guidelines definition.
• 2.2 Conformance:
  • NEW wording of conformance.
  • Definition of "recognize" added.
  • Define native support and applicable checkpoint
  • Reworded conformance based on those two definitions.
  • Elaborated on media dependency.
  • Removed last three checkpoints.

• New wording.

Section 3: Terms and Definitions

• Added definition of "styles" to 3.2.
• Added "Point of Regard" to 3.3 header.
• DL replaced by H4 in 3.4.
• In focus, replaced active component with active element.
• Rewordings based on Hans Riesebos comments (e.g., dynamic -> refreshable braille).
• 3.6 Added reference to Web Content Gudielines.

Section 4: Ensure that the user interface is accessible

• Defined documentation to include help, manuals, installation, etc.
• Rewording based on Kitch comments
• RAISED PRIORITY of 4.1.2 to Priority 1 (WG decision)
• CHANGED WORDING of 4.1.2 based on WG decision.
• changed accessibility interfaces -> settings
• Condensed 4.2.3/4/5 into 4.2.3. NOTE: No longer refers to event handlers.
• Rewording of 4.3.1
• DELETED 4.3.4 (merged with 4.3.2)
• ADDED 4.4.14. This puts the UA Guidelines in sync with the Web Content Guidelines, which distinguishes two types of refresh/forwarding.
• Moved 4.1.4 to 7.2.4

Section 5: Ensure that content is accessible

• Use "control" instead of "override"
• New title of Guideline 5.2
• Reworded 5.2.3
• NEW CHECKPOINTS: 5.2.4 and 5.2.6
• LOWER PRIORITY (2) of 5.3.1
• LOWER PRIORITY (2) of 5.3.8
• New intro text to 5.4
• LOWER PRIORITY (2) of 5.4.3
• LOWER PRIORITY (2) of 5.5.1 and 5.5.2
• NEW CHECKPOINT 5.5.5

Section 6: Help the user remain oriented

• INtro text shortened.
• NEW CHECKPOINT 6.2.1

Section 7: Follow W3C Recommendations and use standard interfaces

• 7.21 and 7.2.2 are for desktop graphical user agents only.
• 7.2.4 was 4.1.4

Acknowledgments

• List updated as per comments from Harvey Bingham.

References

• References are now to specific dated versions of W3C specs.

Changes to Techniques Document

• Sprinkled techniques from Denis Anson about tables throughout sections 3.3, 4.3, and 4.4
• Added text from Kitch Barnicle to 5.2
• In 5.3, feature control, added information about auto-refresh and auto-forward of pages.