Re: Some thinking around the orientation discussion

Super, thank you

--
Patrick H. Lauke


> On 5 May 2016, at 17:50, David MacDonald <david100@sympatico.ca> wrote:
> 
> Added to WIKI
> 
> https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/mobile-a11y-tf/wiki/Proposed_revision_of_3.4.1
> 
> Cheers,
> David MacDonald
>  
> CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
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>> On Thu, May 5, 2016 at 12:14 PM, Patrick H. Lauke <redux@splintered.co.uk> wrote:
>> Just before I forget, some stream of consciousness (probably to be added to the wiki).
>> 
>> Problem is twofold:
>> 
>> * content that expects a certain aspect ratio/orientation to function (e.g. a page which "wants" user to view it in landscape - if user has a portrait aspect ratio, all they get is a "hey, resize your window / tilt your device into landscape mode" message)
>> 
>> * content which goes a step further and locks/forces a particular aspect ratio/orientation (possible in native and, with proposals like https://drafts.csswg.org/css-device-adapt/#orientation-desc, also for web content)
>> 
>> While all users are potentially affected by these, certain users groups with disabilities are particularly affected as they can't easily just "turn their device" (thinking of users with a fixed tablet attached to a wheelchair, in landscape mode only).
>> 
>> For web content, desktop browsers don't currently honour any of the device adaptation / viewport directives - this is currently only an issue on "mobile" (phone/tablet) devices. It's possible this distinction may fall away in future (indeed, under certain conditions, even desktop browsers take hints from viewport directives (as is the case with IE/Edge in Windows "metro"/"modern" mode when using split screen view, which picks up on some viewport stuff [don't have the details handy just now])
>> 
>> The more naive "check for aspect ratio width/height and show a 'resize/tilt' message" situations will affect desktop users as much as mobile/tablet users.
>> 
>> In essence, we'd want to say: let users experience your content/use your site/app regardless of their aspect ratio/orientation, as not everybody can easily change window size/orientation.
>> 
>> Simplest way to achieve this: don't fight the browser; using responsive approaches to then make your content look/work great regardless of orientation/aspect ratio is not necessarily tied to this - it's an optional/extra. This should be primarily about NOT locking users out completely. whether the stuff then works well in both portrait and landscape is more of a usability issue.
>> 
>> Another sufficient technique would then be the "mechanism" as in "provide a switch, or setting in an options dialog, or similar".
>> 
>> P
>> -- 
>> Patrick H. Lauke
>> 
>> www.splintered.co.uk | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
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> 

Received on Thursday, 5 May 2016 16:59:00 UTC