Re: ACTION-2190: Review https://www.w3.org/tr/2019/wd-string-meta-20190416/ strings on the web: language and direction metadata with a focus on pronunciation tf (Accessible Platform Architectures Working Group)

All,

This emergent First Public Working Draft hit the radar at the APA last
week, and I took on the task of a quick review. As a FPWD, it explores an
important topic that the Internationalization WG also recognizes will
likely have an impact on our work.

*1.3 Why is this important?*


   - *Selection of a text-to-speech voice and processor, such as used for
   accessibility or in a voice-based interface*

The document recognizes that in HTML (and to a lesser extent other mark-up
languages) can support language direction (@dir="rtl"), however other
formats in common use on the web today (eg. JSON) which rely on string text
alone therefore has no concept of language direction mapping.

*Markup formats, such as HTML and XML, as well as related styling
languages, such as CSS and XSL, are reasonably mature and provide support
for the interchange and presentation of the world's languages via built-in
features. Strings and string-based data formats need similar mechanisms in
order to ensure complete and consistent support for the world's languages
and cultures.*


At this time, the PFWD provides some suggested approaches, discounts a
number of them (reasons why NOT to use that approach), and appears to be
leaning towards the inclusion of metadata (see:
https://www.w3.org/TR/string-meta/#localizable-dictionary). The document
also discusses some on-going production concerns, but falls short of any
kind of demo or example code.

*Recommendation:*
At this time, there is very little for the accessibility community to
comment on. This  (and I suspect will remain) something that the
pronunciation TF will want to keep an eye on, especially as Proofs of
Concept emerge, and I suspect that the Pronunciation TF should maintain at
a minimum a "dotted-line" connection with the Internationalization Working
Group. And while I sadly will not be in attendance at this year's TPAC,
perhaps a joint meeting (or at least meet-up) between the PTF and I18n WG
should be explored. (At a minimum, buy Richard Ishida a beer ;-) )

This closes ACTION # 2190

JF




On Wed, Apr 17, 2019 at 11:37 AM Accessible Platform Architectures Working
Group Issue Tracker <sysbot+tracker@w3.org> wrote:

> ACTION-2190: Review https://www.w3.org/tr/2019/wd-string-meta-20190416/
> strings on the web: language and direction metadata with a focus on
> pronunciation tf (Accessible Platform Architectures Working Group)
>
> https://www.w3.org/WAI/APA/track/actions/2190
>
> On: John Foliot
> Due: 2019-04-24
>
> If you do not want to be notified on new action items for this group,
> please update your settings at:
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>

-- 
*John Foliot* | Principal Accessibility Strategist | W3C AC Representative
Deque Systems - Accessibility for Good
deque.com