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Re: WCAG Extensions

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From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Aug 20, 2015 11:00AM

> Léonie Watson wrote:
>
>> I'd be interested to know what people think about
>> WCAG extensions for people in these user groups
>> being optional though.

I've been quite open about not being thrilled with the idea of the
extensions over on
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-mobile-a11y-tf/2015Jul/0035.html,
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-mobile-a11y-tf/2015Jul/0037.html
and
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-mobile-a11y-tf/2015Jul/0040.html

To reiterate, I feel that there are quite a few things (specifically
regarding inputs in my case) that should be generalized in WCAG 2 core.
Currently WCAG 2 has some very keyboard-specific language. The mobile
"extension" would spend a lot of time redefining some of these concepts
to also include sequential touch-AT navigation, for instance. The same
would then need to happen in other extensions (imagine, for instance, an
extension specifically dealing with voice controls or similar). This
will simply pile extra stuff on top of what is fundamentally something
that's not quite right/up to date anymore (WCAG 2 core).

Further, there's also obviously the danger that once we have everything
compartmentalized into "extensions", which are potentially seen as
optional, you'll end up with organizations/clients simply trying to meet
the most basic WCAG 2 core, and leave all the good clarifications and
patches that are relegated to the extensions by the wayside.

Long story short: not a fan. I'd much rather see some core parts of WCAG
2 core to be amended/fixed...though I understand the other side of the
problem, having one big monolithic set of guidelines (seeing the glacial
pace that some of these discussions take before reaching consensus, or
at least uneasy truces, I'd also be concerned about the ability to even
deliver on this in a timely manner).

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

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