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Re: summary or caption

for

From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Jun 7, 2013 1:02PM

Jonathan wrote: "Only screen reader users should benefit from some content
because that is the intended audience"

It's rare that I've found a table where certain information needs to be
given to AT-users and hidden from the rest of the the audience. As I've
reviewed way-too-many tables in my job, I've seen the summary tag misused
for information like this: "This table is compiled from data collected in
2010-2011."

That's helpful information for everyone, yet because it's in a summary
attribute, it's hidden from the majority of users and available only to
AT-users. Maybe it will end up in court and maybe not, but it's a clear case
of discrimination: the same or equivalent info isn't being given to all
audiences.

However, if the summary attribute is used to give guidance to AT-users on
how to navigate the table, such as "data reads top-down, left-to-right," why
in the world call it a SUMMARY element? It's more a "how to read this table"
element/tag and not in any stretch of our language a "summary" of the
table's content.

Another case of an incorrect name given to an element or tag because the
name doesn't match its usage. I'm relieved that it's deprecated in HTML5.

As I stated before, the better solution is to edit the verbiage or
reconstruct the table so that it's obvious what the table is about and how
to read it.

Jonathan wrote: "By your logic, are we also at risk for being sued by users
who can¹t see comments in HTML "
Nah, your counter-argument doesn't fit here.

From what I've heard, current interpretation of Section 508 is that it
applies to public-facing information and internal information that federal
employees need to perform their jobs.

HTML source code, with all of its comments, CSS, and other technologies,
wouldn't be considered "public-facing." The final rendering of that
information in a browser, yes, but not the source code from which it is
rendered.

However, if a federal employee was a website developer and couldn't see the
source code, then either 1) get that employee better developer tools because
all source code should be readable in even a basic text editor, 2) train the
employee, or 3) find him another job.

Jonathan wrote: " In my opinion, if a tag has been deprecated there is
probably a reason, ... I would just omit it altogether."
I think we agree here. Omit the summary element and edit the table to
include that information where everyone can see it.

The Summary attribute never accomplished what it was originally intended to
do, was often misused, and has the potential of hiding critical information
from some audiences. Glad it's going away!

—Bevi Chagnon
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