Web and Software: August 29

• Approval of minutes from August 22, 2007.

Review of action items

1. IN PROCESS: Allen Hoffman will sync provision 2 with AV group definition by next week.
2. IN PROCESS: Katie Haritos-Shea will write a proposal for tactile and aural user preference settings.
   • Mailing list discussion started
   • Katie will repost proposal because most of the conversation on the list was off topic.
3. Judy Brewer to collect all clarification and rationale for the authoring tools provisions for the final TEITAC report. Not required prior to August 17, 2007.
4. IN PROCESS: Shannon Rapuano to look at "if" provisions to determine if we need an "else" provisionalso.
   • See minutes from the August 22, 2007 meeting
   • Tabled discussion for now since its tied up with the bigger issue of AT interoperability.
5. COMPLETE: Peter Korn to start discussion of "platform software" definition on mailing list.
   • Discussion started but we still have to finalize the definition.
6. COMPLETE: Gregg Vanderheiden will look at the latest language for "Web page" definition in WCAG 2.0 and post it to the list.
   • Discussion on today's agenda.
7. COMPLETE: Andi Snow-Weaver will draft something about concerns for Authoring Tools provision 3 and 4.
8. COMPLETE: Alex Li to recommend rewording of interaction guidelines provision part 2 and 3.

Technical Topics

Definition of Web Page

• No consensus to use WCAG definition
• Proposal to remove any mention of "Web page" in the provisions

Consistent identification

• We already agreed to generalize this: Components that have the same functionality within a product must be identified consistently.
• Error in August 17 Draft and this should have been generalized already. Any objections to new wording?
• Closed with no objections.

Repeated Blocks

1. Generalize to all types of content: A mechanism must be available to bypass blocks of content that are repeated within a product.
2. Remove - Structure is required per Information and Relationships - Is that sufficient?

• When this was first discussed we preferred the idea of going to structure, which could be generalizable. People who were familiar with skip-links wanted to generalize it.
• If this is the only provision where "Web page" is, we can say Web page and not define "Web page". It could apply in other places such as PowerPoint but agreement that structure is the better requirement.
• Information and Relationships provision requires that any appearance of structure has to be programmatically determinable. Can be provided with ARIA but ARIA is not necessary if the host language, such as HTML, supports it. Web applications must meet the AT interoperability provision.
• Agree that it should be removed. Andi to include recommendation in report next week to TEITAC and ask for their approval.
• Discussion about rationale for each recommendation which were included in the first draft subcommittee discussions but are not in the current draft. Will be in the final report.
  • Suggestion to have a mapping that maps the old provision to the new and rationale for removal of provisions.

Link Purpose

1. Generalize to all types of content: It must be possible to determine the purpose of each link from the link text or the link text together with its programmatically determined link context.
2. Any other options?

• Originally scoped to Web only because thought that was the only scenario where screen readers provide lists of links. Screen readers do provide lists of links in documents but not sure about dialog boxes.
• Concern that not all non-HTML technologies have the ability to meet this provision.
• Concern about this provision being subjective, because determining the "purpose" depends on the user's ability to understand what is being provided.
• Agreed to keep it scoped to Web pages. Since this is the only provision now that uses Web pages, don't feel a definition is necessary, pending TEITAC approval.

Use of term "multimedia"

• See Andrew Kirkpatrick's post on August 21, 2007
• A/V has not discussed since this message. Some concern they may be waiting on Web and Software sub-committee. Most references seem to flow from Web and Software. A/V group will probably go along with us if we feel its worth while.
• Some concern about reaplacing "multimedia" with "synchronized media" in the non-text content provision. Do not want anything prerecorded audio only or video only to fall through this crack and not be required to provide text equivalents. 508 is actually more clear on this requirement than WCAG is.
• WCAG should also consider replacing "multimedia" with "synchronized media". Gregg will take this proposal to the WCAG working group.
• Agreed that Andi will propose this to TEITAC: change term "multimedia" to "synchronized media" using Andrew's proposed definition.

Harmonization Issues

• Unique requirements for the U.S.
  • Contrast
  • AT interoperability
    • Only issue is that 508 requires boundary but ISO does not.
    • Concept of boundary does exist in ISO but it's not called that. Object position and size are required. Boundary can be derived from size and position so there is actually no issue.
  • Software that is both a platform and an application
    • Nothing in WCAG or ISO to address this.
    • In ISO, if you serve the role of a platform you must meet whatever ISO requires for platforms. If you are both an application and a platform, you must follow both the platform and application requirements.
    • Sub-bullet 2 is covered by the provision on "Accessibility Services". Make it a note under that provision.
    • Sub-bullet 3 may be partially covered by "Keyboard operation" provision.
      • A platform that does not provide a mechanism for entering and exiting applications does not meet the "Keyboard operation" provision. Maybe this can be a note there. Could make the requirement to resolve keyboard conflicts a recommendation rather than a requirement.
      • Look at ISO section 9.2, specifically keyboard focus 9.2.3.
    • Andi will look at the latest ISO draft to see if there is a provision for platforms to provide color and contrast settings. We could add to our recommendation with a note under it about software that is serving the role of a platform.

New Action Items

• Andi Snow-Weaver to make proposal to resolve harmonization issues around "Both platform and application" provision.

Attendence

1. Andi Snow-Weaver - IBM
2. Sharon Snider - IBM
3. Tom Brett
4. Jim Elekes (Access Board)
5. Greg Fields (RIM/BlackBerry)
6. sean hayes (Microsoft)
7. Eric Damery, Freedom Scientific
8. Michele Budris, Sun Microsystems
9. Andrew Kirkpatrick (Adobe)
10. Peter Wallack (Oracle)
11. Jim Allan (W3C-WAI)
12. Jessica Brodey (ATIA)
13. Angela Hooker
14. GreggVan
15. Bruce Bailey (Access Board)
16. Alex Li (SAP)
17. Peter Korn, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
18. Chris Meier
19. Laura Ruby
20. Judy Brewer, W3C/WAI
21. Shannon Rapuano - IBM
22. Michael Cooper, W3C