Re: AW: Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Task Force - DRAFT

This is going to be a challenge but a doable one I'm sure.
I agree with Kertin's concerns and view point as well as David's.

Setting guidelines and direction takes wisdom, empathy and leadership. All 
of which I sense this team has.
As we start the dialogue and process we will drive out answers to our 
questions and concerns and in the end create something that will be a great 
aide to the industry and ultimately the end-user.

Alan

Sent with AquaMail for Android
http://www.aqua-mail.com


On September 14, 2013 5:08:54 PM Loretta Guarino Reid 
<lorettaguarino@google.com> wrote:
> I think that this work should be done but I share Kerstin's reservations.
> In particular, I'm worried that if this is a joint WCAG task force, both
> task force members and external observers may assume that WCAG itself will
> be extended to include the task force results.
>
>
>
> On Sat, Sep 14, 2013 at 1:40 PM, Katie Haritos-Shea @ Earthlink <
> ryladog@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> > I agree with David
> >
> > Katie Haritos-Shea
> >
> >
> > * katie *
> >
> > Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note® II
> >
> >
> >
> > -------- Original message --------
> > From: David MacDonald <david100@sympatico.ca>
> > Date: 09/14/2013 12:39 PM (GMT-05:00)
> > To: Kerstin Probiesch <k.probiesch@gmail.com>
> > Cc: Andrew Kirkpatrick <akirkpat@adobe.com>,WCAG <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
> > Subject: Re: AW: Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Task Force - DRAFT
> >
> >
> > I agree that it may be difficult to test cognitive techniques but I don't
> > think that should stop us from trying to help people with cognitive and
> > learning disabilities who use the web...
> >
> > At our local university and college there is a 9:1 ratio between
> > cognitive/learning and all other disabilities combined.
> >
> > We may find a way to test many techniques ... We may also find an elegant
> > way to include untestable techniques... In a way to promote good
> > practices...
> >
> > I think Kerstin brings up important points that we need to explore... But
> > I think Wcag is the right place for this..
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> > On 2013-09-14, at 3:59 AM, Kerstin Probiesch <k.probiesch@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > Hi Andrew, all,
> >
> > I think we all can easily agree that we all don't know enough about
> > accessibility for people with cognitive and learning disabilities and that
> > we welcome improvements especially in this part of our work. I've read the
> > draft a few times and like a lot of the ideas and goals written in and I
> > also have some reservations.
> >
> > Of course accessibility for people with cognitive and learning disabilities
> > is not only about language, but it is of course also a question of (a)
> > specific language. One example for this we can read in G153: "Use sentences
> > that are no longer than the typical accepted length for secondary
> > education.
> > (Note: In English that is 25 words.)". The note shows one problem when it
> > comes to techniques in this area of accessibility: "In English". It is of
> > course not possible for a Working Group or a Task Force to take in account
> > every language on this planet. But I fear that (of course not all)
> > techniques might only be of value for the English language and also that
> > speakers of other language might ignore this. We all know that it is hard
> > work to explain even the role of techniques as optional...which leads me to
> > the second point of the draft:
> >
> > "but we are also expecting to produce techniques that are non-testable".
> >
> > Criteria for WCAG-Techniques is that they are testable. If a Cognitive and
> > Learning Disabilities Task Force as WCAG WG Task Force will produce a paper
> > which includes non-testable techniques I think it will soften this
> > important
> > aspect of techniques. I also think about WCAG-Surveys. During the working
> > process of a Task Force we will fill out surveys like "Technique XY: Do you
> > agree, agree with the following changes..." and so on. I don't see how to
> > fill out those surveys, when it comes to non-testable techniques ("I like
> > it"? "I believe it's a good technique"?.
> >
> > Therefore a Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Task Force under the cover
> > of WCAG WG gives me some headache. My proposal for the second point is,
> > that
> > techniques given by a Task Force like this should be testable.
> >
> > For the first point I don't have a proposal, but would like to hear from
> > the
> > Proposed Co-Facilitators how they expect to handle the problem of culture
> > and language specific aspects and techniques in this area of accessibility.
> >
> > Best
> >
> > Kerstin
> >
> > Von: Andrew Kirkpatrick [mailto:akirkpat@adobe.com]
> > Gesendet: Mittwoch, 11. September 2013 16:13
> > An: WCAG (w3c-wai-gl@w3.org)
> > Betreff: Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Task Force - DRAFT
> >
> > WCAG’ers –
> > The Protocols and Formats WG is proposing a new task force on cognitive and
> > learning disabilities and we’ve been asked if we agree that it is a good
> > idea and whether we would like it to be a joint TF with WCAG.  The draft TF
> > work statement is here:
> > http://www.w3.org/2013/08/draft-cognitive-a11y-tf.html
> >
> > We are interested in the opinion of the group on this matter.  The chairs
> > feel that this work is valuable and timely in that we do need to continue
> > to
> > evaluate possible improvements in WCAG or in techniques to better support
> > users with cognitive or learning disabilities, and this task force can help
> > by focusing directly on that topic.  We expect that we will need to recruit
> > additional members in order to have enough participation for the TF, but
> > believe that is achievable.  This task force will operate in a
> > substantially
> > independent manner from WCAG and PF, but may contribute techniques that the
> > main WG needs to review and the main WG will also need to approve the
> > release of any publications produced by the group.
> >
> > Please take a look at the work statement and share your thoughts.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > AWK
> >
> > Andrew Kirkpatrick
> > Group Product Manager, Accessibility
> > Adobe Systems
> >
> > akirkpat@adobe.com
> > http://twitter.com/awkawk
> > http://blogs.adobe.com/accessibility
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >