Buzz Archives for June 2003
End of Free IE Not the End of Web Standards
The WaSP sympathizes with the anxiety Web developers have expressed regarding Microsoft’s recent announcements. In the space of a few short days, we learned that Internet Explorer for Macintosh and Windows would cease to exist as free, standalone products. Instead, they will be integrated into MSN for Macintosh and the ...
By WaSP Member | Filed in Opinion
- Browsers Come and Go, Standards Endure
-
The demise of the free, standalone versions of Internet Explorer has caused a great deal of anxiety on the Web. It shouldn't have. Microsoft's announcements just underline the importance of developing to standards: browsers come and go, standards endure. As well, Microsoft has promised to release bug fixes for the free ...
By Chris Kaminski | Filed in Browsers
- Walking the talk
-
There are a growing number of resources available which appeal to the selfishness of the individual designer or producer in selling the advantages of Web standards, but concise case studies and finished, live sites built around standards are still something of a rarity. Simon Willison points out today a case study ...
By Ben Henick | Filed in Web Standards (general)
- FrontPage to Improve Standards Support?
-
There are encouraging signs that Microsoft might be addressing one of the biggest problems with its FrontPage software - that being the dire quality of the markup that it generates. In a CNet news article entitled Microsoft aims higher with Web software, Melisa Samuelson, a Microsoft product manager is quoted ...
By Ian Lloyd | Filed in Authoring Tools
- Setting the Record Straight
-
In a recent interview with Jeffrey Zeldman, Meet the Maker's Brian Alvey complains that his role in WaSP “always gets overlooked.” Zeldman suggests that Alvey just might be overestimating his influence, but despite that lil' snipe, goes on to set the record straight about the history of WaSP and ...
By Molly E. Holzschlag | Filed in Web Standards (general)
The Web Standards Project is a grassroots coalition fighting for standards which ensure simple, affordable access to web technologies for all.
Recent Buzz
WCAG 2.0 is a W3C Recommendation
By Matt May | December 11th, 2008
After 9.5 years of work, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 have reached W3C Recommendation status. On behalf of the WaSP Accessibility Task Force, I’d like to welcome WCAG 2 officially into the pantheon of Web standards.
I think this tweet by caledoniaman sums up the level of anticipation:
WCAG 2.0 and a new Guns ‘n’ Roses album in the same year. What’s the world coming to.
Interesting comparison. They’ve each had about as many pre-releases. In any case, I can say, having spent over 8 years with it, that WCAG 2 is not as entertaining as Chinese Democracy. But I do think that it’s better equipped to stand the test of time.
If I had to pick one thing I’m most happy about, I’d say it’s that the HTML- and text-centrism in WCAG 1 is largely gone. In its place is a much more flexible (dare I say robust?) concept of accessibility-supported technology. So when newer technologies can show themselves to be directly accessible, they too can be used in WCAG 2-conformant content.
Over the years, many people have conflated “WCAG-conformant” with “accessible,” and that’s led to people making statements like: “Don’t use JavaScript–it’s inaccessible.” That’s bad for everyone, from users with disabilities who actually can work with JavaScript (which is to say, the vast majority), to Web designers and developers, to policymakers, to those developing new technologies.
With WCAG 2, “Don’t use x” is no longer valid. (Was it ever?) It is now up to you, the developer, to work on the direct accessibility of your content, no matter what technology you choose. I believe we’re about to experience a new wave of accessible design techniques, as a result.
But first, we need to flush “Don’t use x” out of our system. Some are accustomed to saying it about anything they’re not comfortable with. That’s only holding accessible design back. It’s time to learn what’s out there, today, and use it in everyday Web design. It’s time to make everyone’s Web more accessible. Have a look at the WCAG 2.0 Recommendation, and its supporting material. Then, start thinking about what a more accessible Web could be. We still have a lot of work to do.
Filed in Accessibility, Accessibility TF, W3C/Standards Documentation, Web Standards (general) | Comments (8)