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Re: HTML 5 (sic) and A11y

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From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Jan 24, 2011 10:06AM

On 24/01/2011 09:24, Joshue O Connor wrote:
> Hi y'all,
>
> I just saw Ian Hicksons post on the WHATWG Blog where the HTML 5
> "technology is not versioned and instead we just have a living document
> that defines the technology as it evolves".
>
> What this move effectively means is that HTML (5) will be implemented in
> a piecemeal manner, with vendors (browser manufacturers/AT makers etc)
> cherry picking the parts that they want. It could be argued that this is
> the way it _already_ is however as a specification isn't a movable feast
> there is more chance for consistency and stability. This current move by
> the WHATWG, will mean that discussions that have been going on about how
> best to implement accessibility features in HTML 5 could well become
> redundant, or unfinished or maybe never even implemented at all.

Though I understand your concern, I think it's not going to be worse
than the current situation. Look at HTML 4.01 ... stable for absolute
ages, and there's still AT that doesn't handle some fairly common
constructs in any sensible way.

And yes, this simply reflects what's already been happening re
cherry-picking. The only solution, from my point of view, is that the
accessibility community must keep up the same pace as those WHATWG
contributors that suggest/add new features - a change of process from
the W3C model, for sure.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke