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Re: Using Tables

for

From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Feb 13, 2012 7:57AM

I generally find that it would be more useful to have the table
summary attribute a link (either to a different page or expanding
text) that includes more detailed description that the table summaries
I have seen on the web generally contain.
Something along the lines of
"this table has 7 column, the first one is x and enables you to do y ..."
This would, of course, only be needed in case where the table
structure and associations are not obvious.
In other words, I believe where table summaries are really needed,they
are probably often expansive text that only needs to be read once.
I have, therefore, generally included a table summary type link above
the table, often hidden, with text that explain the use of the table
in detail, if I feel the need to include such summary, a bit more like
longdesc or providing alternative to audio or video by providing text
transcript almost.
Cheers
-B

On 2/13/12, Steve Faulkner < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Hi Donna,
>
>>When you're building your shiny new Ferraris for the Power Users, please
> make sure the little old lady who just wants to drive to the supermarket
> still can.
>
> It is not people such as myself who build such things, it is companies such
> as google, yahoo, microsft, IBM etc.
> Yes they need to take into account there users, but if they do choose to
> use newer aspects of the technology that don't work in IE6, the
> technologies still need to be accessible with whatever baseline
> technologies these companies choose to support, that is where ARIA and
> understanding how to build accessible interfaces with newer HTMl5 features
> comes into play.
>
> We also need to take into account that many traditional software
> applications are now built using web technologies, these may well not be
> published n the open web for all to access, but accessed via company
> intranets. In such cases baseline technology requirements can be reasonably
> defined (as they are with more traditional desktop software) and therefore
> not every user agent or version can be expected to be catered for.
>
> regards
> Stevef
>
>
> On 13 February 2012 14:02, Donna Lettow < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
>> Steve Faulkner:
>>
>> >many aspects of HTML5 are here right now and being used so it makes sense
>> take it into account.Part of the accessibility support problem is/has
>>
>> > been that what is in specs and what is supported are not always the same
>> thing.
>>
>> > As accessibility practitioners we need to be mindful of this and provide
>> best practise advice based on implementation realities.
>>
>> As someone who is not currently a programmer/developer, but whose charge
>> it is to ensure accessibility to my vocational rehabilitation constituents
>> -- many of whom do not have access to the latest and greatest technology
>> and who cannot afford to update JAWS each and every time Freedom
>> Scientific
>> releases a new version, and many of whom are not technologically savvy
>> enough to know that people on Internet mailing lists mock the versions of
>> Internet Explorer that they run (or that they run Internet Explorer at
>> all)
>> because they've never been taught how to update it - I worry that this
>> rush
>> to embrace the shiny new toys of HTML5 and ARIA is going to leave behind
>> an
>> accessibility underclass who won't have the equipment or the navigation
>> skills to keep up.
>>
>>
>>
>> When you're building your shiny new Ferraris for the Power Users, please
>> make sure the little old lady who just wants to drive to the supermarket
>> still can.
>>
>>
>>
>> Donna Lettow
>>
>> Staff Specialist, Electronic Accessibility & Internal Communication
>>
>> MD Division of Rehabilitation Services
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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