RE: Definition of Assistive Technology

So we're removing the examples of assistive technology?

Also we are using one term to define itself

"A user agent that provides services to meet the requirements of users
with disabilities that go beyond those offered by the mainstream
software applications, including mainstream USER AGENTS. Sounds as if we
are describing assistive technology for existing assistive technology?
Hamburger Helper for AT perhaps?

Personally, I would like to see the examples of AT retained to remind
people that accessibility goes beyond working with a screen reader.
Especially for authoring tools, where people in the graphics, design,
and publishing industry can extend their careers beyond the onset of
some common physical limitations that one can encounter with age. Thanks
to alternative input devices, hampered hands need not force creative
minds out of the industry.

I like the first one with the addition of the definition and examples of
accessibility platform architecture.

Greg Pisocky | Adobe Systems | 703-883-2810 p | 703-678-3541 m
gpisocky@adobe.com 
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: w3c-wai-au-request@w3.org 
> [mailto:w3c-wai-au-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Jan Richards
> Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 11:31 AM
> To: WAI-AUWG List
> Subject: Re: Definition of Assistive Technology
> 
> 
> After receiving some feedback from Barry (I'll let him decide 
> whether to send it to the list), here's a potential rewording 
> of "Assistive Technology" and "accessibility platform 
> architecture" (changes in CAPS, removed text is indicated by [REM]):
> 
> DEFINITION: Assistive Technology:
> 
> A user agent that provides services to meet the requirements 
> of users with disabilities that go beyond those offered by 
> the mainstream software applications (INCLUDING MAINSTREAM 
> USER AGENTS). Such services include alternative presentations 
> (e.g., as synthesized speech or magnified content), 
> alternative input methods (e.g., voice), additional 
> navigation or orientation mechanisms, and content 
> transformations (e.g., to make tables more accessible). [REM] 
> Examples of assistive technologies that are important in the 
> context of this document include the following:
> 
> -screen magnifiers, and other visual reading assistants, 
> which are used by people with visual, perceptual and physical 
> print disabilities to change text font, size, spacing, color, 
> synchronization with speech, etc in order improve the visual 
> readability of rendered text and images;
> - screen readers, which are used by people who are blind to 
> read textual information through synthesized speech or braille;
> - text-to-speech software, which is used by some people with 
> cognitive, language, and learning disabilities to convert 
> text into synthetic speech;
> - voice recognition software, which may be used by people who 
> have some physical disabilities;
> - alternative keyboards, which are used by people with 
> certain physical disabilities to simulate the keyboard;
> - alternative pointing devices, which are used by people with 
> certain physical disabilities to simulate mouse pointing and 
> button activations.
> 
> Note: Mainstream user agents may also provide services 
> directly that meet the requirements of users with disabilities.
> [REM]
> 
> 
> DEFINITION: accessibility platform architecture
> 
> A programmatic interface that is specifically engineered to ENHANCE 
> COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MAINSTREAM APPLICATIONS AND assistive 
> technologies. Examples include MSAA and IAccessible2 for Windows 
> applications, Gnome Accessibility Toolkit API for Gnome, Java 
> Access for 
> Java applications.
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Jan
> 
> 
> 
> Jan Richards wrote:
> > 
> > Another definition...
> > 
> > I think we should add a definition for "Assistive 
> Technology". We use 
> > the term quite a bit, but without a definition, which both 
> UAAG and WCAG 
> > have. Below is my suggestion. It is similar to that used by 
> UAAG and 
> > WCAG, but uses the term "software application" rather than 
> "user agent" 
> > in a couple of places.
> > 
> > ---
> > 
> > Assistive Technology:
> > A user agent that provides services to meet the 
> requirements of users 
> > with disabilities that go beyond those offered by the mainstream 
> > software applications. Such services include alternative 
> presentations 
> > (e.g., as synthesized speech or magnified content), 
> alternative input 
> > methods (e.g., voice), additional navigation or orientation 
> mechanisms, 
> > and content transformations (e.g., to make tables more accessible). 
> > Mainstream software applications communicate with assistive 
> technologies 
> > via accessibility platform architectures. Examples of assistive 
> > technologies that are important in the context of this 
> document include 
> > the following: screen magnifiers, and other visual reading 
> assistants, 
> > which are used by people with visual, perceptual and physical print 
> > disabilities to change text font, size, spacing, color, 
> synchronization 
> > with speech, etc in order improve the visual readability of 
> rendered 
> > text and images;
> > 
> > - screen readers, which are used by people who are blind to 
> read textual 
> > information through synthesized speech or braille;
> > - text-to-speech software, which is used by some people 
> with cognitive, 
> > language, and learning disabilities to convert text into 
> synthetic speech;
> > - voice recognition software, which may be used by people 
> who have some 
> > physical disabilities;
> > - alternative keyboards, which are used by people with 
> certain physical 
> > disabilities to simulate the keyboard;
> > - alternative pointing devices, which are used by people 
> with certain 
> > physical disabilities to simulate mouse pointing and button 
> activations.
> > 
> > Note 1: Mainstream user agents may also provide services 
> directly that 
> > meet the requirements of users with disabilities.
> > Note 2: This definition is based on User Agent 
> Accessibility Guidelines 
> > 1.0 Glossary.
> > 
> > 
> > ---
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > Jan
> > 
> 
> -- 
> Jan Richards, M.Sc.
> User Interface Design Specialist
> Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC)
> Faculty of Information Studies
> University of Toronto
> 
>    Email: jan.richards@utoronto.ca
>    Web:   http://jan.atrc.utoronto.ca
>    Phone: 416-946-7060
>    Fax:   416-971-2896
> 
> 
> 
>

Received on Thursday, 9 August 2007 15:48:05 UTC