Invitation for short contributions to Text Customization for Readability Online Symposium

Dear WAI Interest Group Participants,

The Text Customization for Readability Online Symposium will be held on Monday 19 November 2012. This symposium will explore the needs of people with low vision, dyslexia, and other conditions and situations that impact reading. It focuses specifically on text customization requirements and functionality, that is, providing users the ability to change (or personalize) specific aspects of text display to improve readability for their particular needs. For details, see:
      <http://www.w3.org/WAI/RD/2012/text-customization/>

Additional short contributions are welcome (preferably by Monday 12 November) via e-mail to the publicly-archived mailing list:
      <public-wai-rd-comments@w3.org>
      with subject starting: "[TC4R Symposium]"

Registration is available from:
      <http://www.w3.org/WAI/RD/2012/text-customization/#participate>

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We have already received a number of full submissions, which have been peer-reviewed, will form the basis of the symposium's discussions, and are published in the Proceedings available on the Symposium page. We recognize that some symposium participants may want to share information more informally.

Therefore, *we invite short perspectives on text customization for readability* as additional contributions. For example, you can provide:
* brief summary of what you learned from research you did in the past
* personal perspective on the issues you or someone you know faces related to readability of text display
* pointers to related research or information on text customization for readability

If you send your perspectives *by 12 November 2012* we can better incorporate them into the plans for the Symposium event. If you send them any time in November, they can still be considered for the Symposium report as appropriate.

We are specifically looking for information to contribute to:

* Understanding text customization needs and requirements
- What aspects of text customization improve readability? How do they help?
- Which aspects of text customization are necessary requirements for people to be able to read effectively, and which are optional suggestions to improve readability?
- What are the gaps in knowledge of users' needs for text customization?

* Integrating text customization functionality and requirements
- How well do existing text customization functionality and interfaces support users' needs?
- What text customization functionality is provided in current products?
- How do users interact with text customization features? Which do they use, which do they not use, and why?
- How effectively do user agents (web browsers, etc.) and web content share the responsibility for text customization?

* Moving forward
- How might we increase awareness of the need for text customization, and the benefits?
- What text customization functionality should be included in products in order to meet users' needs?
- How can we improve discoverability and usability of text customization features in products?
- How should text customization requirements be better addressed in accessibility guidelines, web standards, and other best practice guides?
- What areas of research show promise to inform and evolve text customization for readability?

Thank you for your contributions and we look forward to your participation in the online symposium on 19 November.

Regards,
~Shawn Lawton Henry & David Sloan, Text Customization for Readability Symposium





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Shawn Lawton Henry
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
e-mail: shawn@w3.org
phone: +1.617.395.7664
about: http://www.w3.org/People/Shawn/

Received on Tuesday, 6 November 2012 18:40:43 UTC