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RE: blink and marquee elements

for

From: John Foliot - bytown internet
Date: Mar 5, 2002 5:46PM

While Section 508 is obviously the _minimum_ requirement in the states, it's
worth noting that WAI Priority 2 Guidelines address these questions
directly:

3.2 (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-identify-grammar) -
Create documents that validate to published formal grammars.

(Unless you code to the *rare* and obsolete Microsoft DTD, this kills off
marquee {<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//Microsoft//DTD Internet Explorer 3.0
HTML//EN">} which I believe was the only DTD to recognize this element

Note: for the curious, see: http://validator.w3.org/sgml-lib/catalog. I
don't have a reference URL for the above published spec, so I don't know if
a user agent could validate against it any longer)

11.2
(http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-avoid-deprecated) -
Avoid deprecated features of W3C technologies.

(blink was deprecated in 1997 with the release of HTML 4.0)

7.3 (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-avoid-movement) -
Until user agents allow users to freeze moving content, avoid movement in
pages.

(marquee creates movement, so even if you DID use the above Microsoft DTD,
it would still be inaccessible)


So... avoid them.

As always, JMHO

JF




> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]On Behalf Of
> Derren
> Sent: March 5, 2002 11:39 AM
> To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
> Subject: blink and marquee elements
>
>
> I am currently evaluating a website for Section 508 compliance and I
> came across the use of the marquee element.
>
> In the Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0...
>
> http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-TECHS/
>
> ...it is mentioned that "The BLINK and MARQUEE elements are not
> defined in any W3C HTML specification and should not be used."
>
> Does Section 508 cover the marquee and blink elements in any way?
> --
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Derren Hermann Usability Specialist
> <EMAIL REMOVED> Diamond Bullet Design
> www.diamondbullet.com 315 W. Huron, Suite 140
> phone: 734/665-9307 Ann Arbor, MI 48103 USA
> fax: 734/665-9353
>
> Usability First --- www.usabilityfirst.com
>
> RetroAccess, www.retroaccess.com
> Opening the Internet to Everyone
>
>
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