Re: text equivalents for multimedia

Anne,

if you are going to go the full SMIL solution, the place to start is
http://www.w3.org/AudioVideo - the Home page for the SMIL working group. It
includes links to tutorials, authoring tools (You can use Word as a text
editor to make SMIL code, but as far as I know FrontPage does not support
it) and players.

There is also a note by Marja-Riitta Koivunen and Ian Jacobs specifically
covering the accessibility features of SMIL - at
http://www.w3.org/TR/SMIL-access

The Magpie tool being developed by WGBH National Center for Accessible
Multimedia (NCAM) is specifically designed to allow you to add captions. I
know that it is being beta tested, but I am not sure if it is more generally
available yet.

One problem with SMIL (like multimedia in general on the web) is that
different formats are supported by different players. For example writing a
Java players that supports GIF images, and .AU format sound files, and plain
text, is very simple. The most widespread player is probably the RealPlayer
series, although they are only available for a few platforms. I believe that
it also handles the widest range of formats - the Quicktime player may also
handle a wide range of formats.

What you want can be accomplished, but it is currently at the bleeding edge
of technology. This only changes when people take the plunge - good luck, and
if I can help I will.

Cheers

Charles McCN


On Fri, 3 Mar 2000, Anne Pemberton wrote:

  Charles, Thanks.
  
  	Now, next question is where does one goe to learn to use SMIL, and can the
  code be developed by either Word or Front Page. I, personally, have no
  knowledge of SMIL other than to know it describes coding that works similar
  to HTML. 
  
  	I will need to be able to tell other teachers, some people who haven't a
  clue about HTML let alone any other coding languges, on how to do pages
  that are primarily there to display what children have accomplished and to
  communicate these accomplishments to parents, community members, other
  schools, and any one else interested. 
  
  	Can this be accomplished? 
  
  					Anne
  
  At 07:58 AM 3/2/2000 -0500, Charles McCathieNevile wrote:
  >Anne,
  >
  >providing a link to the words would help. Ideally they would be in a format
  >where they are synchronised with the text (one way to do this is to use SMIL,
  >so the words can be included as captions). I think if you can do these two
  >things you have met the requirements of checkpoints 1.1 and 1.4, which are
  >the two relevant checkpoints for level-A accessibility in this
  >case. Identifying clearly what the links are too (for example by using a
  >title attribute to provide explanation of the link:
  >
  >  <a href="some/caption" title="captions for the song hey-nonny-no"><img
  >  src="something" alt="captions"></a>
  >
  >would also be good. (I forget the checkpoint number). Copyright is copyright
  >- if you are reproducing the words you need to meet copyright obligations.
  >(If you are linking to them, it is clear that you are not claiming them as
  >anything but the work/proprety of the site to thich you are linkng, then you
  >need not worry).
  >
  >Cheers
  >
  >Charles McCN
  >
  >On Wed, 1 Mar 2000, Anne Pemberton wrote:
  >
  >  Wendy,
  >  	Excuse my denseness. We just got an Internet site last week for the school
  >  I work at. I've known it was coming, and have had bursts of ideas on the
  >  brain for weeks now. One was inspired by finding a site: Famous Americans:
  >  Pictures and music by Mrs. Eberle's 2nd grade class (Washington, Jefferson,
  >  Lincoln, Tubmam, Anthony, King)
  >  http://www.ih.k12.oh.us/ps/americana/Eberle/EBsongs.htm
  >  on which 2nd graders sing songs about each of the pictured history people.
  >  There is no text other than the names under the pictures which serve as
  >  links to the music. (I would have loved to have found the words to some of
  >  the songs, but I figured it was more than the kids could handle and the
  >  teacher saved some for another year... 
  >  	Anyway, one of my first grade classes, weekly practices "He's Got the
  >  Whole World In His Hands" until we get a mic in the new lab so they can
  >  begin to record and edit the piece. 
  >  
  >  	If I am to exemplify "accessibility" to other elementary teachers making
  >  web pages in their classses, is it enough that I add a text to the page or
  >  to a link to page of the words? Do I need to include a copy of the musical
  >  notation? Would I be required to obtain a copyright to include the musical
  >  notation if that's necessary or usable to the hearing impaired (e.g.)? 
  >  
  >  	The website is "free" educational website for schools under the name of
  >  Family Education. I get to the site at: http://myschool.com 
  >  I attended the training last week, and noted, tho the presenters were both
  >  from Boston, and my ears have been long-trained to the slower pace of
  >  southern speakers, I don't think I heard any mention of accessibility, tho
  >  the trainers said we could only put one graphic on per page, I found out
  >  over the weekend, that I could put a page of graphics (about 12), with a
  >  background, as long as I store the graphics and background on an off-site
  >  server ... and I'm anxious to put up a web page with sound on it.... But I
  >  do want to do it right. But what is right? I try to read up on and and end
  >  up confused.... Again excuse my denseness.....
  >  
  >  					Anne
  >  
  >  
  >  
  >  
  >  At 01:10 PM 2/23/2000 -0500, Wendy A Chisholm wrote:
  >  >hello,
  >  >
  >  >In the general techniques document in the section on audio and video it
  says:
  >  ><blockquote>
  >  >Equivalents for sounds can be provided in the form of a text phrase on
  the 
  >  >page that links to a text transcript or description of the sound file.
  The 
  >  >link to the transcript should appear in a highly visible location such as 
  >  >at the top of the page. However, if a script is automatically loading a 
  >  >sound, it should also be able to automatically load a visual indication 
  >  >that the sound is currently being played and provide a description or 
  >  >transcript of the sound.
  >  ></blockquote>
  >  >
  >  >This implies that the text equivalent of a multimedia clip can *only* 
  >  >appear on a separate page.  What if someone provides in on the same 
  >  >page?  This question has come up in ER as we are trying to determine what 
  >  >to ask the author if we find multimedia on a page.
  >  >
  >  >I thought we had discussed this already on this list, but I did not see
  any 
  >  >mention of it in the archives nor in minutes.  Either I missed it or I'm 
  >  >thinking of an ER thread.
  >  >
  >  >--wendy
  >  >--
  >  >wendy a chisholm
  >  >world wide web consortium
  >  >web accessibility initiative
  >  >madison, wi usa
  >  >tel: +1 608 663 6346
  >  >/--
  >  >
  >  >
  >  Anne L. Pemberton
  >  http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Pav/Academy1
  >  http://www.erols.com/stevepem/Homeschooling
  >  apembert@crosslink.net
  >  Enabling Support Foundation
  >  http://www.enabling.org
  >  
  >
  >--
  >Charles McCathieNevile    mailto:charles@w3.org    phone: +61 (0) 409 134 136
  >W3C Web Accessibility Initiative                      http://www.w3.org/WAI
  >Location: I-cubed, 110 Victoria Street, Carlton VIC 3053
  >Postal: GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne 3001,  Australia 
  >
  >
  Anne L. Pemberton
  http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Pav/Academy1
  http://www.erols.com/stevepem/Homeschooling
  apembert@crosslink.net
  Enabling Support Foundation
  http://www.enabling.org
  

--
Charles McCathieNevile    mailto:charles@w3.org    phone: +61 (0) 409 134 136
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative                      http://www.w3.org/WAI
Location: I-cubed, 110 Victoria Street, Carlton VIC 3053
Postal: GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne 3001,  Australia

Received on Sunday, 5 March 2000 06:18:15 UTC