Re: Extension conflict/compatibility requirement

Hi Wayne,

Thank you so very much for your thoughtful correspondence. Brilliant.

SC 1.4.3 is already in WCAG 2.0 core. Per our charter, extensions "may
or may not redefine aspects of WCAG 2.0 within the context of the
extension." So the Low Vision Task Force may redefine 1.4.3 in order
to produce flexible content that works for people with low vision.

The topic of this thread and that Josh wanted input on is conflicts
between extensions. As you said, "Creating an environment where
customization can occur is the goal for all accessibility. As such,
criteria that produce truly flexible content will never create cross
disability conflicts. We only run into conflicts when our criteria
specify particular accommodations instead of the flexibility to
produce them."

So I don't see an issue with the current language in the compatibility
section if SC.
https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/wiki/WCAG_Extensions_Framework#Ensure_that_all_WCAG_extensions_are_compatible_with_each_other

I wonder if it may be helpful to have some language in the document
regarding the goal of customization and that extension SCs should
produce flexible content so that Task Forces never create cross
disability conflicts.

Thoughts?

Thanks again.

Best Regards,
Laura

On 10/19/15, Wayne Dick <wayneedick@gmail.com> wrote:
> Josh, Laura, Micheal, Jon, ... WCAG,
>
> We seem to be missing a key point of accessibility.  Accessibility provides
> the ability to produce accommodations, not accommodations.  SC 1.4.3 is ill
> formed because it prescribes a specific accommodation, not the flexibility
> to produce it.  A person with light sensitivity would never choose high
> contrast to improve legibility. Larger print would be preferable.
>
>  Accommodations are by their nature incompatible. This is because
> accommodations are built to meet the special needs of minority populations.
> I cannot read closed captions or Braille, but the ability to produce these
> alternatives has no impact on me.
>
> Creating an environment where customization can occur is the goal for all
> accessibility.  As such, criteria that produce truly flexible content will
> never create cross disability conflicts. We only run into conflicts when
> our criteria specify particular accommodations instead of the flexibility
> to produce them.
>
> That is why I don't understand this issue.
>
> The problem today for people with low vision is that no mechanism exists
> for professionals to write assistive technologies that implement the
> diverse visual presentation requirements of  all people with low vision.
> Inflexible content is the reason for that. Criteria to help people with low
> vision will need to create sufficient flexibility to restyle presentation
> visually. This flexibility will not interfere with any other disability
> group.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 10:46 AM, Gregg Vanderheiden <
> gregg@raisingthefloor.org> wrote:
>
>> can someone help me here?
>>
>>    - Which extensions are we talking about that would conflict?
>>       - and how would they conflict?   (or are we talking hypothetical)
>>    - only SC can conflict - and we have never seen this in the past.
>>       - techniques never conflict per se because they are all optional
>>       and can be used where they apply
>>       - (but I’m having a hard time thinking of conflicting techniques
>>       too - that are not alternatives)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Also - we were talking about levels - but last time I reviewed all of
>> this
>> - we seemed to have lots of guidelines and techniques but I only saw one
>> thing that looked like it could be a success criterion.
>>
>> Which SC do we actually have?
>>
>>    -  (testable criteria that would apply to all types of content that
>>    are not specifically scoped out)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks much.
>>
>> *gregg*
>>
>> ----------------------------------
>> Gregg Vanderheiden
>> gregg@raisingthefloor.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Oct 19, 2015, at 7:12 AM, Laura Carlson <laura.lee.carlson@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Josh and all,
>>
>> Kathy astutely pointed out in last week’s teleconference [1] that
>> people with disabilities may have opposing needs. For example, high
>> contrast isn't good for certain people with cognitive or learning
>> disabilities. David perceptively talked about how developers will just
>> throw up their hands if extensions conflict with each other. It was
>> suggested that conforming alternatives could address most of the
>> conflicts but James wisely said testing would be a nightmare.
>>
>> I agree with all of these observations.
>>
>> One size doesn't always fit all. However, to get extension acceptance
>> and uptake from the individuals and organizations that implement
>> and/or use WCAG such as Web designers and developers, policy makers,
>> purchasing agents, teachers, and students, extension conflicts should
>> not be allowed. Moreover, if conflicts are allowed between extensions,
>> I suspect it will lead to turmoil in the accessibility community
>> between the very user groups that the extensions are trying to help.
>>
>> So what can we do? Accessibility is essentially dealing with diversity.
>>
>> Josh, I wonder, what ways exist for technology to provide
>> personalization and customization of content to deal with diversity of
>> users needs while at the same time eliminating extension conflicts in
>> order to get extension buy-in from the individuals and organizations
>> that use WCAG? What schemes exist or can exist for technology to
>> afford users a method to receive information in accordance to their
>> needs and capabilities?
>>
>> GPII [2] is pioneering interoperable personalization schemes. Lisa and
>> the Cognitive Task Force have been working on a proposal for an
>> extension, where personalization is key. Could something such as these
>> schemes help us avoid and eliminate conflicts? Is possible, say for in
>> Kathy’s example, for users to receive whatever contrast they need via
>> customization? Or is that wishful thinking? Perhaps Gregg V and Lisa
>> could talk about feasibility.
>>
>> Kindest Regards,
>> Laura
>>
>> [1] http://www.w3.org/2015/10/13-wai-wcag- minutes.html
>> [2] http://gpii.net/
>>
>>
>> On 10/16/15, Joshue O Connor <josh@interaccess.ie> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> On the working group call this week there were a couple of interesting
>> points raised regarding extensions that require further discussion. We
>> also wish to engage other people on the list who were not on the call,
>> and make sure that they are aware of some of the finer points and able
>> to express an opinion here on the list.
>>
>> To sum up, two main 'themes' in our extension framework are extension
>> compatibility, and the need to reduce, minimise or indeed remove any
>> conflict between extensions.
>>
>> NOTE: As a thought experiment, one possible way to do that would be to
>> have a 'MonoSpec' extension which combined the output from all TFs
>> (Mobile/Cognitive/Low Vision) in a single spec. Potentially where care
>> is taken to ensure that these extension SCs are fully compatible with
>> each other there may be less 'conflict'.
>>
>> The 'PolySpec' extension approach would involve taking the SCs from each
>> group and placing them in separate docs that conformance claims would be
>> written against individually.
>>
>> While in principle, the contents of these docs would be more or less the
>> same, the potential for conflict if there is only a 'MonoSpec' may be
>> reduced. If only because a valid conformance claim would need to be
>> written against it in toto. Also this approach would mean that devs
>> would have to satisfy the success criteria in the MonoSpec fully, even
>> if some are outside of the developers immediate area of interest. So in
>> short could be a good way of conditioning developers to consider other
>> user needs - rather than thinking "I need to make my content conform to
>> just mobile, or low vision success criteria etc".
>>
>> Regarding extension conflict, in our current draft 'WCAG Extensions
>> Framework' document it states: [2]
>>
>> "Ensure that all WCAG extensions are compatible with each other
>> Extensions must not conflict with each other. This is important for the
>> purpose of enabling content providers to implement support for more than
>> one extension. For this reason will be critically important for group
>> members working on different extensions to maintain good communication
>> about extension work in progress."
>>
>> There are a couple of questions/points that arise:
>>
>> 1) Should we explicitly call out the need within the framework that
>> there must NOT be conflict between extensions? It has been pointed out
>> (rather practically) that it just may not be possible to avoid conflict
>> with our extensions.
>>
>> 2) If we do explicitly call out this issue in our framework, it may help
>> focus working group attention on carefully finding where there are
>> conflicts in extensions (between there own group and others).
>>
>> 3) On a more granular level how do you think the framework should even
>> define conflict?
>>
>> 4) Obviously while spec fragmentation is a concern inherent in the
>> extensions discussion a final thought is the basic question; Is conflict
>> always inherently bad? Can positive conflict or friction between various
>> user requirements result in the end in better content, better user
>> experience etc?
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
>> [1] http://www.w3.org/2015/10/13-wai-wcag-minutes.html
>> [2] https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/wiki/WCAG_Extensions_Framework
>>
>>
>> --
>> Laura L. Carlson
>>
>>
>>
>


-- 
Laura L. Carlson

Received on Wednesday, 21 October 2015 11:36:49 UTC