This is a response to Bert Bos' review [1] of the Widgets 1.0 Requirements document [2].
COMMENT 29) Accessibility is mentioned as a design goal, but not as a requirement. I think it is possible to require that widgets are accessible at various levels, e.g., keyboard access to graphical elements, screen reader access, and non-graphical UIs. (None of the proprietary widget systems mention by the WD currently separate the GUI from the functions, but I once wrote a system that did just that, so I believe it is possible. See my essays[1,2] for some ideas.)
I've added a new section and requirement: 3.4 Widget User Interface Language R29. Language Accessibility The language used to declare the user interface of a widget should be accessible at various levels: it should provide keyboard access to interactive graphical elements, and provide means to access the widget's functionality through an non-graphical UI. The declared interface may also be accessible to screen readers, allowing relevant sections of text and functionality to be accessed by non-visual means. Also, your essays have been very informative and helpful from the beginning of the requirements gathering process. Honestly, they are the reason I asked Art to contact you to perform this review. -- Marcos Caceres http://datadriven.com.au [1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-appformats/2007Feb/0131.html [2] http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/WD-widgets-reqs-20070209/
