[Bug 16586] Accessibility API Role Mapping Matrix missing math and svg elements

https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=16586

--- Comment #2 from nsoiffer2 <neils@dessci.com> 2012-04-02 05:53:21 UTC ---
(In reply to comment #1)

> > I don't have direct knowledge of the other values, but most are found in
> > section 5.4.1 in [2].  The children of the math element (eg, mrow, mfrac)
> > should NOT be exposed to AT.
> 
> Say I were extending an accessibility client to render mathematical notations
> to speech or nemeth. If the accessibility tree does not include a
> representation of the mathematical content, how would that transformation work?
> Is your recommendation that user agents should hand over access to the DOM
> using a specific interface that is *not* part of the the platform accessibility
> APIs? If so, can we spell out what that specific interface could be?

When I wrote my comment about the children not being exposed, I was indeed
thinking about the model where AT says to a third party app -- "you figure this
out".  In that case, you don't want AT plowing into the children.  However,
since the AT has a pointer to the accessibility tree, the obvious thing is to
hand over a pointer to that tree and the helper app either can get a pointer
back to the full DOM or the accessibility tree needs to expose the children of
the math element.  I'm willing to concede that my suggestion of the children
not being part of the accessibility tree is potentially bad and withdraw it.


> 
> What's the progress on representing mathematical content directly in all
> platform accessibility APIs? Is anyone working on that or is that dead in the
> water?

My company has for years made math accessible in IE.  We are working on a plan
for math accessibility (mathml->speech text, sync highlighting, navigation, and
math braille codes) that will work in all browsers.  I discussed some options
with several AT vendors at CSUN 2012 (give us a pointer to the node and the
"type" of the tree/DOM), or give us the MathML string, or ...) and they were
generally favorable pending seeing the details.  I'm hopeful we'll have
something working with at least one vendor by mid-summer as part of a grant we
are jointly working on.

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Received on Monday, 2 April 2012 05:53:25 UTC