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Re: ins and del

for

From: Derek Featherstone
Date: Sep 23, 2008 11:50PM

On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 4:57 PM, Moore, Michael
< <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> We want to identify an accessible method for indicating insertions and
> deletions within legal documents and policy documents that are
> undergoing revision. These documents are published in html.

Hi Mike,

A few quick thoughts on the issues you face with this.

Yes, the approach you're taking with extra hidden cues in HTML is
perhaps the most "open" and accessible format traditionally, but is
clearly not going to be the most easily understood or worked with. You
and the others have identified the shortcomings of hidden text,
invisible images and other hoop-jumping to publish in HTML in an
intelligible way.

Have you considered an alternative format -- publish these legal docs
in an RTF and/or Word formats (in addition to your HTML based version)
that specifically meet the needs of revision tracking much better than
you can create with HTML. Jaws, at least, works well with revisions
(the "R" keystroke takes you to the next revision, Insert + Shift + R
will give you a "List of all Revisions in a Document" etc); RTF
supports revision marking so you could provide that as well, for use
with free alternatives like Open Office.

This way you would be providing an HTML version to "technically" meet
your needs for publishing in HTML, but your Word/RTF version would
provide a much better experience for those that are specifically
looking for changed/inserted/deleted items.

Thoughts?

Derek

--
Derek Featherstone <EMAIL REMOVED>
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