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Re: Strikethrough Content with Screen Readers

for

From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Nov 20, 2010 2:09PM

On 20/11/2010 20:44, Terrill Bennett wrote:
> From a previous post:
>
> > We're reaching a *very* critical time
> > on the web where if AT does not step
> > up and start handling basic HTML,
> > ARIA, and (especially) HTML5 markup
> > (which has both<del> and<ins> and
> > much more) that users of these
> > technologies are going to quickly
> > begin having very poor experiences on
> > the web despite web authors creating
> > highly accessible and well marked-up
> > content.
>
> ARIA and HTML5 are drafts, not finalized recommendations. Drafts are
> moving targets. Read as Philippe Le Hegaret, W3C interaction domain
> leader, warns on the early adoption of HTML5 and other issues with
> the specification:
> http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-world/w3c-hold-html5-in-websites-041
>
> Mr. Le Hegaret states that there will be changes to APIs. As any
> project manager can tell you, going back and changing existing code
> due to changes in requirements is one of the most expensive
> propositions known. And to a developer, retrofitting code is not
> considered an overly-exciting task; there's no better way to rid your
> team of good talent than repeatedly assigning them to maintenance.
>
> For a moment, please consider the number of ARIA roles, their
> defaults, options, relationships and hierarchy:
> http://www.w3.org/TR/2010/WD-wai-aria-20100916/roles
>
> In light of the warning against the early adoption of HTML5, isn't it
> too early to expect A.T. to implement the ARIA draft?
>
> If we think that A.T. should be supporting these drafts fully, then
> how much more are we willing to pay for a copy JAWS so Freedom
> Scientific can add the necessary resources? How many more volunteers
> will the NVDA Project need?
>
> To write<del>something</del> or role="something" is exponentially
> easier than developing the code in A.T. to support it, and fixing the
> code when the requirement changes.

Keeping in mind though that ins and del, specific to this thread, have
been in circulation since HTML4 / 1999, ample time for AT to at least
start supporting THAT.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke