Agenda review:
BK - will be working with CAST to update BOBBY message files to correspond
with PA Guidelines
SS - couldn't get into the last meeting minutes.
JB - will fix password protection problem.
PB - three deliverables: baseline data on web accessibility, user information
and involvement, alternative browsers.
Outreach updates:
BK - at Inet World for a week - put pointer sheet in pressroom and
talked up WAI and access. Also Bibo White (Black Stanford Linear
Accelerator Centre) has invited him to sit on web access panel in New Orleans
in December. Teaching a distance learning course for Council for
Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). One week will teach
about accessibility. Will be working with Alternative Dispute Resolution
conference - legal and policy issues for webmasters and accessibility stuff.
JB - got several press inquiries as a result of BK's work at Inet World.
Some articles may follow from it. Also thinks WAI should do a "Note"
about distance learning.
SS - also interested in this area (Distance learning)
JB - last Monday at New York New Media Association - presenting to
"Silicon Alley companies" like IBM, Microsoft, Digital Clubhouse.
Tuesday at the State Chief Information Offers conference, responsible for
procurement, etc. Were instrumental in getting Microsoft to include
accessibility a few years ago. Week before that talked to National
Disability and Business Council. Last week talked to a few thousand
Bell Atlantic employees on accessibility and to Department of Education;
next week keynoting California Higher Education Network. Also EITAAC.
Mid November - the Advisory Committee meeting for the W3C.
CL - Technology In Government'98 conference in Ottawa on Monday, Oct.
26. Part of a panel, will be talking about the WAI. Also participating
in the "New Learning Technologies and Learners with Disabilities online
forum" http://www.largnet.uwo.ca/~caucus/olt-bta/english.html . You will
have to create a username and password. (I don't know if you can just lurk
or if you are expected to participate if you join!) When you get
to the list of conferences, select the link for : disabled_incapacite
PB - presentation in three weeks for National Grid for Learning in
Birmingham
CL - asked Peter if British Educational Communications Technology agency
would be represented… a contact is Chris Stevens. http:
AC - presentation in two weeks at Human Resources Professional Association
of Ontario - a full day workshop on accommodation and will include web
access.
Japanese translation: Masafume not here today.
Events Calendar: Kitch nor Jim here today.
Reference document: Maria has volunteered, but not here today.
RNIB Video: JB followed up on the similarity between the two videos and had not received an answer. PB has also been in contact with the producer. JB - Peter, can you get the actual outlines for the two videos for us? PB - yes.
BK - what about adding screen-readers?
PB - very complicated area, but we could link to screen-reader demo
sites.
AC - why not Lynx (various versions as well)
JB - Kynn Bartlett did a page (that is linked from ER?) on some of
these tools.
http://w3.org/WAI/ER/ pointer to existing tools.
AC - latest version (version 4) went up today before the meeting (but just before). He incorporated as many comments as seemed reasonable. There was considerable discussion around TABLES guideline. Alan captured the suggestions from Daniel and Judy. The PA Guidelines still needs a better definition of complex tables.
Stepped through list:
Logo ok
Intro ok.
1. Graphics: why lead with photographs instead of images? She
would switch order
2. Page organization: ok
3. Image maps: AC had question about <MAP>, but Daniel said it was
the best way to explain Client Side without being explicit. Say: using
MAP "element". AC - will remove need to navigate by keyboard in this
point.
4. Tables: AC will rewrite that section. "Some tables can be hard do
read with some web technology. Avoid using tables for layout of text columns,.
Use header scope, and abbreviation attributes for complex tabular information.
5. Graphs & charts Summarize content, or use the longdesc
attribute.
6. Frames: make attributes lower case, and elements uppercase. Otherwise
OK
7. Hypertext links: make it descriptive link "names"
8. Audio: provide captions or transcriptions of audio content.
9 Provide audio and or text descriptions of video content
10. OK
Last statement: JB worried about misuse. We tried to find better
wording. "Call it Starter Tips at top or "Quick" tips
See www.w3.org/WAI for official WAI Page Author Guidelines & techniques