- From: Janina Sajka <janina@rednote.net>
- Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2008 19:59:47 -0500
- To: James Craig <jcraig@apple.com>
- Cc: WAI XTech <wai-xtech@w3.org>
James Craig writes: > I would expect this to be a user setting in the assistive technology, > rather than something specified by the author of a web application. Actually, AT is itself often guilty of the same oversight. However, I would agree content authoring wouldn't be considered with particular devices. It might need to identify content type, e.g. the audio description stream in Spansish, the audio description stream in English, the main movie audio in Spanish, the main movie audio in English, etc. It might then be up to the browser to support directing one of these streams to a particular audio device. Does Safari support that today? IE? I don't believe I've seen this in Firefox. Janina > > > On Dec 3, 2008, at 7:31 AM, Janina Sajka wrote: > >> >> As we continue development of Web 2.0 functionality, there's at least >> one key requirement I believe we've left unaddressed. I do not see >> that >> we've provided for the very real possibility that our user devices >> might >> have more than one audio device. And, which audio device should be >> used >> for particular kinds of content is likely to matter a great deal to >> the >> user. >> >> While I do think this requirement is generalizable to all input/output >> modalities, I want to outline a couple use cases specifically for >> audio >> device differentiation. I must also point out that it's not just our >> web specs that don't seem to support directing audio to one particular >> out of several available devices. OS specificity in this regard is >> also >> less than adequate, in my experience. Of course, for device >> specificity >> in web specs to succeed, OS support would also need hardening. >> >> 1.) Vo/IP >> >> Users of Skype, SIP and IAX services are very likely to use a headset >> device. This will often be a second audio device on the host system, >> and not just another input/output option to the default audio device >> on >> that system (especially when that user relies on a screen reader). >> >> 2.) High End Media Access >> >> Professional musicians and consumers invested in high quality audio >> (and >> multimedia) experiences will often add higher quality audio devices to >> their systems with the intention that certain media types be directed >> to >> those devices. >> >> * The parent setting up a movie for the family to watch >> * will probably not want the screen reader mixed into the >> * movie's audio output. Indeed, some might wish audio >> * description routed to only certain devices, and not >> * others. >> >> * The musician studying (or creating) a particular >> * composition will certainly not want screen reading (or >> * system sonicons) mixed in that composition. >> >> There are other examples, but I expect these will serve to illustrate >> my >> point. We need the ability to direct certain media types to particular >> devices. When these exist on user systems, they exist for a reason, >> and >> those reasons must be honored for applications to succeed. >> >> -- >> >> Janina Sajka, Phone: +1.202.595.7777; >> sip:janina@CapitalAccessibility.Com >> Partner, Capital Accessibility LLC http://CapitalAccessibility.Com >> >> Marketing the Owasys 22C talking screenless cell phone in the U.S. and >> Canada >> Learn more at http://ScreenlessPhone.Com >> >> Chair, Open Accessibility janina@a11y.org >> Linux Foundation http://a11y.org >> >> -- Janina Sajka, Phone: +1.202.595.7777; sip:janina@CapitalAccessibility.Com Partner, Capital Accessibility LLC http://CapitalAccessibility.Com Marketing the Owasys 22C talking screenless cell phone in the U.S. and Canada Learn more at http://ScreenlessPhone.Com Chair, Open Accessibility janina@a11y.org Linux Foundation http://a11y.org
Received on Friday, 5 December 2008 01:00:42 UTC