[uf-discuss] proposed title-design-pattern is not backwards compatible, too big of a change

[Brian Suda]

On 4/29/07, Jeremy Keith <jeremy at adactio.com> wrote:
> If we were to find an existing HTML element that was semantically
> suited to encoding datetime and/or geo information *and* didn't cause
> problems with assistive technology, then I would jump all over it and
> agree wholeheartedly that the title-design-pattern should be
> restricted to that particular element. But I don't believe such an
> element exists.

the whole discussion begs the question about what people with
assistive technologies ACTUALLY think? A while ago there was a whole
report about who screen readers fail with AJAX apps, then someone
actually ASKED some blind folks if they could navigate the site...
they managed to do so just fine.

We are naively ASSUMING that people with assistive technologies NEED
our help. I would prefer, before WE think we can hand the right
soltion down from on high, that someone who uses a screen-reader as
their main browser give their feedback.

We skirt the issue by moving data to the title attribute of
alternative elements, how do we know screen-readers now or later won´t
read out those as well? we are coding around a problem by potentiall
creating other ones and ignoring the semantics of the HTML spec in the
process.

-brian

-- 
brian suda
http://suda.co.uk