Question 11: Are current W3C technologies and guidelines used?

Use technologies and guidelines specified by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) (http://www.w3c.org) because they are reviewed for accessibility issues and have accessibility features built in.

Why does this present a problem?

This presents a problem only if a page is not designed to W3C specifications, which are developed in an open, industry consensus process. When non-W3C technologies are used, the user may be required to use plug-ins or stand-alone applications that are not compatible with assistive technologies.

What are the solutions?

1. Use current W3C technologies

Use the latest version of W3C technologies when suitable for a task.
When using HTML, Treasury Board Guideline 1.1 recommends (but does not mandate) that HTML 4.0 Strict or newer W3C adopted languages be used as the standard for new and revised Web pages.
Current W3C technologies include:
- MathML for mathematical equations
- HTML, XHTML, XML for structured documents
- RDF for metadata
- SMIL to create multimedia presentations
- CSS and XSL to define style sheets
- XSLT to create style transformations
- PNG for graphics

When HTML or other W3C technologies cannot be used, Treasury Board Standard 1.2 requires that users be given information on how to obtain alternate versions, e.g., print, Braille, audio, Portable Document Format (PDF) (see Question 15 for more on PDF files.
The Treasury Board provides this example of explanatory text to include before the inaccessible element (optional language is enclosed between square brackets):
If the following [information, content, document, application, form, interactive questionnaire, animation, multimedia presentation] is not accessible to you, please contact [name, e-mail, phone number, TTY number, mailing address or other appropriate contact information] for [assistance, explanations, alternate formats such as regular print, large print, Braille, audio cassette or other appropriate format].

2. Avoid deprecated features

When possible, avoid use of deprecated elements as browsers may not support them in the future.
Be aware that organizing pages so they are readable without style sheets, as required under Question 6, may require use of deprecated elements, e.g., <FONT>, but use them with caution.
The following are elements that have been removed in HTML 4.0 and some recommended alternatives:

Removed		Recommended Alternative
<APPLET>		<OBJECT>
<BASEFONT>, <CENTER>, <FONT>, <STRIKE>, <U> for formatting		style sheets for these formatting effects
<DIR>, <MENU> to define lists		list elements such as <UL> or <OL> and style sheets to refine the formatting
<ISINDEX> for simple form input		an <INPUT> element within a <FORM>
<LISTING>, <PLAINTEXT>, <XMP> for formatting fixed-width text		<PRE>

3. Provide appropriate content

The Core Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 provides the following strategies to help users to select the appropriate content:
1. Include links to other versions of content, such as translations. For example, the link "Refer to the French version of this document" links to the French version.
2. Indicate content type or language through markup (e.g., in HTML use TYPE and HREFLANG).
3. Use content negotiation to serve content per the client request. For example, serve the French version of a document to clients requesting French.
4. See the W3C Internationalization document on HTTP Content Negotiation for more information.
[From http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-CORE-TECHS/#content-negotiation]
Treasury Board Guideline 1.2 recommends (but does not mandate) using the <MEDIA> element in cascading style sheets for pages explicitly designed to provide information to alternate technologies such as hand-held, print, Braille, and audio devices. This element allows documents to render more appropriately on these technologies. It can also reduce download times by allowing user agents to ignore inapplicable rules.

4. Provide alternative pages

Only as a last resort, when a page cannot be made accessible, provide a link to a separate page that is accessible-one that uses W3C technologies, has equivalent information, and is updated as often as the original page. This can be done by providing a prominent link that says,

Text-only version
Use an alternative page only when necessary, as it is time consuming updating two sets of pages. Unless they are updated as regularly as the original pages, alternative pages become inaccessible.
Treasury Board Standard 1.3 requires Web pages offering information in alternate formats to provide a hyperlink to a site for obtaining the necessary software.
For example:

Interested in this job? For more information:
- Corporate Information (HTML, PDF)
- Complete Job Description (HTML, PDF)
- Application (HTML, PDF)
Note: to read the PDF version you need Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 (or later) on your system. If the Adobe download site is not accessible to you, you can download Acrobat Reader from the text-only page. Alternatively, you can have the file converted to HTML or ASCII text by using one of the access services provided by Adobe.

What is the bottom line?

The bottom line, as stated in WCAGGuideline 11, is use W3C technologies and guidelines.

Copyright: Human Resources Development Canada and Ministry of Advanced Education
Maintained by ... Centre for Curriculum Transfer and Technology ... January 2002
For more information, contact curriculum@c2t2.ca