Decision on CfC: WebRTC Accessibility Considerations

Colleagues:

The Call for Consensus below received only responses of support. It is
therefore agreed as a formal consensus of APA.

The head of thread for this CfC is here:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-apa-admin/2019Oct/0011.html

Best,

Janina

Janina Sajka writes:
> Colleagues:
> 
> This is a Call for Consensus (CfC) to the Accessible Platform
> Architectures (APA) Working Group on a proposed Accessibility
> Considerations addendum to the WebRTC 1.0 specification:
> 
> https://www.w3.org/TR/webrtc/
> 
> ***Begin Proposed Section
> ------------------
> 
> Accessibility considerations [New section, informative]
> 
> The WebRTC 1.0 specification exposes an API to control protocols (defined
> within the IETF) necessary to establish real-time audio, video and data
> exchange.
> 
> Real-time Text, defined in RFC 4103 on which people who are deaf or hard of
> hearing (among others) rely on for their communication needs, utilizes T.140
> encapsulated in RTP to enable the transition from TDD/TTY devices to IP-based
> communications. Support for RFC 4103 is especially important as it is being
> established as the new and more reliable mechanism for text communications
> with Public Safety Access Points (PSAP).[1]
> 
> Since Real-time Text requires the ability to send and receive data in near
> real time, it can be best supported via the WebRTC 1.0 data channel API. As
> defined by the IETF, the data channel protocol utilizes the SCTP/DTLS/UDP
> protocol stack, which supports both reliable and unreliable data channels. The
> IETF chose to standardize SCTP/DTLS/UDP over proposals for an RTP data channel
> which relied on SRTP key management and were focused on unreliable
> communications.
> 
> Since the IETF chose a different approach than the RTP data channel as part of
> the WebRTC suite of protocols, as of the time of this publication there is no
> standardized way for the WebRTC APIs to directly support Real-time Text as
> defined at IETF and implemented in U.S. (FCC) regulations.  The WebRTC working
> Group will evaluate whether the developing IETF protocols in this space
> warrant direct exposure in the browser APIs and is looking for input from the
> relevant user communities on this potential gap.
> 
> Within the IETF MMUSIC WG, work is ongoing to enable Real-time text to be sent
> over the WebRTC data channel, allowing gateways to be deployed to translate
> between the SCTP data channel protocol and RFC 4103 Real-time text. This work,
> once completed, would enable a unified and interoperable approach for
> integrating real-time text in WebRTC user-agents (including browsers) -
> through a gateway or otherwise.
> 
> MMUSIC-T140:
> https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-holmberg-mmusic-t140-usage-data-channel
> 
> At the time of this publication, gateways that enable effective RTT support in
> WebRTC clients can be developed e.g. through a custom WebRTC data channel.
> 
> This is deemed sufficient until such time as future standardized gateways are
> enabled via IETF protocols such as the SCTP data channel protocol and RFC 4103
> Real-time text. This will need to be defined at IETF in conjunction with
> related work in W3C groups to effectively and consistently standardise RTT
> support internationally.
> 
>  
> [1] https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=ada7cebd65433a9e05c35426a2bc76b8&mc=true&node=pt47.3.67&rgn=div5
> ------------------
> 
> ***Action to Take***
> 
> This CfC is now open for objection, comment, as well as statements of
> support via email. Silence will be interpreted as support, though
> messages of support are certainly welcome.
> 
> If you object to this proposed action, or have comments concerning this
> proposal, please respond by replying on list to this message no later
> than 23:59 (Midnight) Boston Time, Sunday 20 October.
> 
> NOTE: This Call for Consensus is being conducted in accordance with the
> APA Decision Policy published at:
> 
> http://www.w3.org/WAI/APA/decision-policy
> 
> Thanks especially to our Research Questions Task Force (RQTF)
> for working with WebRTC to develop this addendum.
> 
> Janina
> 
> -- 
> 
> Janina Sajka
> 
> Linux Foundation Fellow
> Executive Chair, Accessibility Workgroup:	http://a11y.org
> 
> The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
> Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures	http://www.w3.org/wai/apa
> 

-- 

Janina Sajka

Linux Foundation Fellow
Executive Chair, Accessibility Workgroup:	http://a11y.org

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures	http://www.w3.org/wai/apa

Received on Monday, 21 October 2019 08:35:08 UTC