Proposal for Guideline 3.1 (“meaning”)

Draft 2005-05-21
Submitted by John Slatin

<proposed>

Guideline 3.1 . Make text content readable and understandable.

Level 1 success criteria for Guideline 3.1

1. [Updated] A mechanism is available to identify the primary natural language or languages of the delivery unit.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L1 SC1

2. A mechanism for finding the expanded form of acronyms and abbreviations is available.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L1 SC2

3. [Updated]A measure of the education level required to read the content is available.

   
   Guide to GL 3.1 L1 SC3

Level 2 success criteria for Guideline 3.1

1. A mechanism is available for finding definitions for all words in text content.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L2 SC1

2. A mechanism is available for identifying the natural language of each foreign passage or phrase in the content. Foreign passages or phrases are written in a language that is different from the language of the delivery unit as a whole.

   Note: This requirement does not apply to individual words or phrases that have become part of the primary language of the content. This is because "correct" pronunciation of such words and phrases might confuse or distract native speakers of the content’s primary language.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L2 SC2

3. One or more of the following alternative versions is available when text content requires the reading ability expected of native speakers who have completed at least nine years of school:

   1. A text summary that can be read by adults with the reading ability expected of native speakers who have completed fewer than seven years of school.

   2. One or more simplified graphical illustrations.

   3. A spoken version of the text content.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L2 SC3

Level 3 success criteria for Guideline 3.1

1. [Updated] A mechanism is available for identifying specific definitions of words used in an unusual or restricted way, including idioms and jargon.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L3 SC1

2. A mechanism is available for finding the pronunciation of all words in text content.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L3 SC2

3. Section headings and link text are understandable when read by themselves or as a group (for example in a list of links or a table of contents).

   Guide to GL 3.1 L3 SC3

4. A mechanism is available to identify text that states important ideas or provides important information.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L3 SC4

5. For delivery units at the first or second level in a set of delivery units, text content can be read by adults with the reading ability expected for native speakers who have completed fewer than seven years of school.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L3 SC5

6. For delivery units below the second level in a set of delivery units, text content can be read by adults with the reading ability expected for native speakers who have completed fewer than nine years of school.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L3 SC6

7. Simplified graphical illustrations are available when text presents ideas or describes processes that users must understand in order to use the content.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L3 SC7

8. A spoken version of text content is available.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L3 SC8

9. Signed video is available for key pages or sections of pages.

   Guide to GL 3.1 L3 SC9 (in progress)

Differences between draft of 21 May 2005 and draft of 30 April

• L1 SC1 now refers explicitly to the "primary natural language or languages" of the content. This responds to questions raised by Wendy and Tim Boland; the I18N Workign Group notes that the lang and xml:lang attributes may take comma-separated language identifiers for documents that have multiple primary languages, e.g., Canadian documents in which English and French have equal place. Note that identifying multiple primary languages still requires that language changes within the body of the content are identified when they occur (as per L2 SC2; we may need to promote L2 SC2 to L1 for this reason).
• L1 SC3 now requires a readability measure of the text content ("measure of the education level required to read the content") instead of calling for a description of the education level of the intended audience. I believe this addresses Jason's concern about the need to provide precise data about actual educational attainment within the target audience by refocusing the SC on the content instead of the audience.
• L3 SC1 changes "intended definitions" to "specific definitions" of words used in unusual or restricted ways. This avoids the problem of seeming to require a test of authorial intent, and I think addresss Tim Boland's concern.

• Brief summary of differences between this proposal and the current wording

Relatively small changes

• Several SC were rewritten to describe functional outcomes, as per LA decision and baseline analysis: L1 SC1, SC2; L2 SC1, SC2; L3 SC 1, SC2

• L2 SC1 (meaning and pronunciations) is broken into two SC and the SC about pronunciation information has been moved to L3

• L2 SC2 (idioms) has been moved to L3 and merged into L3 SC1. Rationale: L3 SC1 deals with words used in highly specific ways. An idiom is a word used by native speakers in a way that breaks the bounds of the dictionary definition, so I think that idioms and jargon both qualify as instances of the more general category.

Major changes

1. L3 SC3 (statement asserting that the following list of strategies for reducing complexity has been considered) is deleted.

A number of new SC have been introduced. The primary goal was to replace L3 SC3 with meaningful and testable success criteria that would promote readability and make understanding easier for people with a range of disabilities, including reading disabilities.The new SC are:

1. L1 SC3: requires a description of the education level of the intended audience for the content.

2. L2 SC3: requires one or more alternative versions (including optional non-text alternatives) for text content that requires education level at or above 10th grade (US), 10 years in school/upper secondary level international classification.

3. L3 SC2: requires pronunciation information. This one was originally included in L2 SC1; has been separated from the issue of definitions and moved to L3 because it seems significantly more difficult to provide.

4. L3 SC4: requires a mechanism for identifying most important points in text content.

5. L3 SC5: requires that text on first- and second-level pages is readable at 6th grade level (US)/end of primary education international classification L3 SC6: requires that text below second-level is readable at 8th grade level (US)/late lower secondary international classification

6. L3 SC7: requires simplified graphical illustrations of important ideas/descritions of processes (this is an option at L2, required at L3

7. L3 SC8: requires spoken-word version of text content (also an option at L2 that becomes a requirement at L3

8. L3 SC9: requires signed video for key pages or passages