Symbols illustrating texts can be ignored by assistive technology

Name: Inclusion Europe
Email: self-advocacy@inclusion-europe.org
Affiliation: 
Document: W2
Item Number: Success Criterion 1.1.1
Part of Item: 
Comment Type: technical
Summary of Issue: Symbols illustrating texts can be ignored by assistive technology
Comment (Including rationale for any proposed change):
To make texts more accessible for people with cognitive disabilities, it is common practice to illustrate each paragraph with a symbol that summarizes the main idea of the text next to it. This communication symbol does not provide any supplementary information to a person who can read the text without any difficulties for understanding it.

Proposed Change:
To change the exceptional situation 4 listed under success criterion 1.1.1 as follows:



\"Decoration, Formatting, Invisible, Communication Symbols: If non-text content is pure decoration, or used only for visual formatting, or if it is not presented to users, or if it is a communication symbol illustrating the main idea of a text for better understanding by people with cognitive disabilities, then it is implemented such that it can be ignored by assistive technology.



Inclusion Europe also proposes to add the following sentences to the explanations:



“Providing communication symbols to illustrate texts is an effective method for many users, including those with cognitive disabilities. This provision should not discourage those types of cues as long as the communication symbols can be ignored by assistive technology.”

Received on Friday, 29 June 2007 10:54:03 UTC