The usage of SVG (Scaleable Vector Graphics) creates new possibilities as well as new challenges for the accessibility of Web sites. This paper presents a metadata vocabulary to describe the information content of an SVG file geared towards accessibility. When used with a suitable tool, this metadata description can help in generating a textual ("linear") version of the content, which can be used for users with disabilities or with non-visual devices.Although this paper concentrates on SVG, i.e. on graphics on the Web, the metadata approach and vocabulary presented below can be applied in relation to other technologies, too. Indeed, accessibility issues have a much wider significance, and have an effect on areas like CAD, cartography, or information visualization. Hence, the experiences of the work presented below may also be useful for practitioners in other areas.

This article presents an architecture allowing network graphical applications, such as X Window clients, to be activated and render themselves directly onto World Wide Web browser screens. The intention is both to offer Web information providers better and finer control over the exact presentation of their documents, and to provide the ability to demonstrate real applications or products over the Web. After presenting some rationales and requirements for this work, the paper explores the set of issues that need to be resolved to implement such a system.