Re: Definition of Assistive Technology

Hi Gregg,

Sorry for the confusion... [REM] is just the placeholder showing that 
text has been removed.

But when I look at it now I can see that it looks like I'm suggesting 
everything between the the two [REM]'s should be removed...but I'm not.

All of the examples remain!

Re: the circularity: What if it the first line was reworded...

Software or hardware that provide services to meet the requirements
of users with disabilities that go beyond those offered by
mainstream software applications and hardware.


For Clarity, here is the proposed wording:

DEFINITION: Assistive Technology:

Software or hardware that provide services to meet the requirements
of users with disabilities that go beyond those offered by
mainstream software applications and hardware. 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). 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.


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








Greg Pisocky wrote:
> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
> 

-- 
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 15:56:01 UTC