Thread Subject: Re: Bypassing content.

Note

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From: Tom Brett
Date: Wed, Jun 13 2007 4:30 AM

The need for a way to allow people using AT to skip repetitive blocks - be
it the header, repeated textual information or repeated images improves the
usability and also provides comparable access.

I am not sure how elements can be formed in a such a way that they would be
distinguishable from one another and as such can be parsed, navigated, and
otherwise identified by the specific characteristics which separate them
from each other without creating a standard code. A user can go to the one
agency web site and find that there is a "SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT" link that
allows them to jump from repeated header information to the main content and
then go to another agency web site where the navigation is coded in an
different way.

I am wondering if it wouldn't be better to state in the standards/provisions
that developers must use xyz to code the internal navigation links?

Skipping repetitive blocks of content, though, is not something that I think
we can dictate in the standards. It is desirable to be able to skip these
blocks but there are occasions when the agency wants this information
repeated to insure that the user is aware of the legal restrictions or
limitations associated with the additional information. A person not using
AT would be required to go thru the repetitive blocks of content.



Tom Brett

-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Barrett,
Don
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 11:24 PM
To: TEITAC Web/Software Subcommittee
Subject: Re: [teitac-websoftware] Bypassing content.

Tom, you raise an interesting point. The whole notion of
"programmatically determinable" suggests that elements are formed in
such a way such tat they are distinguishable from one another and as
such can be parsed, navigated, and otherwise identified by the specific
characteristics which separate them from each other. That doesn't
necessarily mean standard code, but it does prescribe that elements
maintain characteristics which separate them from each other.

My only issue is that this is so generic a requirement that developers
and Feds may have trouble discerning exactly how it should be
accomplished.

For example, if a designer told me that they have honored our request
and that a repetitive navigation bar is separated from the rest of the
content by the <p> tag, such that the page content begins at the third
paragraph of each page, does that meet the standard?

I see here that folks don't like the concept of "skipping repetitive
navigation links" because it is to limiting in its scope, but remember
that it is its very specificity which has made it easy to implement. If
we just tell people that we have to be able to go anywhere anytime with
just a few keystrokes, what exactly are we telling them to do.

All I am saying is that we want a standard, not a philosophy.

Don


-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Tom
Brett
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:41 PM
To: 'TEITAC Web/Software Subcommittee'
Subject: Re: [teitac-websoftware] Bypassing content.

I must be missing something. To be programmatically determinable it
would require (so that code validators can determine if the skip nav
exits) would mean that there would need to be standard coding that every
developer uses, right? This means that a developer would not be able to
use something creative in the skip nav. They would be required to use
the same coding regardless of where they are coding (OPM, GSA, Interior,
etc).



We would be developing coding standards beyond Section 508 if we do
this. We would be dictating to the developer how to code the page.







Tom Brett

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