Suggestions for Overlay Capabilities Inventory

Hello there,

Using the public email address. Janina, Lionel, this reflects some of our
discussion from today.

Well, this is what an hour gets you in today's market! I figure even
something this rough can be grist for further conversations. I'm happy to
keep working on this, and I definitely hope to reflect feedback if I do!
Proposed content and changes

This is a very rough first pass for me. I have some suggestions for
adjustments and additions to the current structure and content. I’ve mapped
it out section by section.
1.1 What is meant by “Edge?”

I’m a little unclear whether “User agent” refers to a human plus the
technology that is employed by the human as a combination of a browser and
possible physical devices or only the tech side of that (browser/software
and physical devices). If it’s the latter, consider adding a third
dimension, the human who engages user agents and who chooses to consume the
content. If we do want to distinguish the human from the tech, it could be
introduced like this:


   1.

   The user or person who wants to engage with web content and does so
   through their preferred plug-ins and extensions as well as through one or
   more physical devices.
   2.

   The plug-ins, extensions, and physical devices that the user employs to
   interact with the content.
   3.

   [text from 2 - although consider changing “...how the user functions” to
   “How the user chooses to interact with the content” or similar]

2. Meeting Users’ Needs

[Consider adding a child heading called, “Understanding what’s at stake
with accessibility” or “Reflecting and respecting the human needs behind
accessibility” This could be the container for the human-focused
principles. “Creating Accessible UX” would become section 2..2. I’ve added
part of the description as a first principle. It can be fleshed out further..

This heading could also include some points about Lionel’s concept of
“Digital Dignity” and what I’ve characterized as “Experiential Parity” or
decency and civility.]


Maybe something like this:

Digital dignity means aiming to provide experiential parity so that all
users are treated with the same level of civility and decency. This means
ensuring that some users are not required to navigate excessive friction or
disruptions due to the technology that they employ to read and interact
with the content.

2.1.1 Respect the user’s settings and preferences

Allow users to interact with content in the way that works best for them.
Whatever a content provider may have published, a user's adaptations must
take precedence for accessibility to be preserved. The user is the ultimate
arbiter of how content should be presented.
2.1.2 Preserve User Agency

   1.

   The first rule of user agency is that the full end to end experience
   must be accessible to all. User agency should not be compromised because a
   user cannot complete a full workflow and requires help and intervention
   from another person.
   2.

   Users must always be understood as the ultimate arbiters….

2.1.3 Preserve User Privacy

[Note: I’m still thinking through this one and would love some feedback.
This is really a concern where the user agency is not honoured such that a
user requires help and intervention.]
2.1.4 Optimize for Time Efficiency

As part of experiential parity, experiences allow all users to consume the
content with comparable efficiency regardless of the technology that they
employ to read and interact with the content. For example, the experience
should not take significantly [quantify] longer for some people to complete
tasks or consume content.

[This could link to items on good content hierarchy and structure.]
2.1.5 Reduce noise

When experiences are designed for accessibility, ensure that the structure
and layout are such that content or markup that is not central to the
experience do not intrude on, and create noise for, the experience for
users. Users should be able easily orient themselves to the content and
traverse it with minimal disruption. Omit the elements that get in the way
in different modalities. [This could link to items on good content
hierarchy and structure.]