I don't think anyone here is arguing for HTML to be not accessible, but I feel what Mike may be trying to point out is that visual design can be an important part of the meaning. For example, I work primarily on educational sites and we know that whitespace and the amount of words in a line are part of what determines how sighted people absorb the information and learn. The same information is available to a screen reader but the ability to absorb the information into learning is lessened - not just different but lessened.
MathML is a classic example of this. It is accessible (except that for visual browsers it will only work on modern browsers) in that it can be interpreted by screen readers. However you have to be able to hold so many more concepts inside your head at one time when reading an equation through a screen reader than a visual browser. Math equations are intrinsically more suited to a visual medium. In so many ways we must ensure that our content is as accessible as possible but it is wishful thinking to assume it is equally accessible or that one medium (vision) is not favoured over another. Yes the technology (HTML) does not favour it but human practice of communication does. Grant Focas -----Original Message----- Subject: Re: [WSG] HR - Presentation or Structure? Mike Whitehurst wrote: > what do you mean by primarily? please elaborate. To simplify, what Nathan seems to be arguing is that HTML is mainly meant to mark up documents in the tradition of print, and as such has a bias towards visual rendition in a browser to sighted users. Our argument is that HTML is more generalised than that, and was not intended to mark up content that would only be delivered visually in a browser; it was meant to mark up information so that it can be presented to the user in a variety of ways. Yes, most users are sighted and can therefore use a web browser which renders HTML as a visual document, but the same markup is also good for being read out by a screenreader, for instance. The visual representation is not inherent in HTML, it's only that it's the most common way to present HTML to the user. -- Patrick H. Lauke ********************************************************************** This message is intended for the addressee named and may contain privileged information or confidential information or both. If you are not the intended recipient please delete it and notify the sender. ********************************************************************** ****************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help ******************************************************
