Re: Assistive Technology Detection

Danger.  Danger.  Privacy Concern.

Goodwitch steps up on a privacy soapbox to say:

Answering the question on screen reader detection and privacy concerns.  In
the old days, it was impossible to detect if a screen reader was running.
But times they are a changing.  For example, Apple now provides a way for
developers to know if VoiceOver is running.

   - *UIAccessibilityIsVoiceOverRunning()*
   - https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/1615187-uiac
      cessibilityisvoiceoverrunnin

So...it comes down to...is detection of the use of screen reader (or other
assistive technology) a violation of privacy?   The prevailing answer (in
the a11y community is...this is a violation of privacy.

A few articles you might want to read for context:

   - *Detecting screen readers in analytics: Pros and cons *by Heather
   Burns 20160817  https://www.powermapper.com/blog/accessibility-analytics/
   - *On Screen Reader Detection *by Adrian Roselli written in 2014 but
   updated as recently as 20170577
   - http://blog.adrianroselli.com/2014/03/on-screen-reader-detection.html
   - *Detecting Screen Readers: No *by Dennis Lembree 20140314
   http://www.webaxe.org/detecting-screen-readers-no/
   <http://www.webaxe.org/detecting-screen-readers-no/>

Last but not least, the W3C is developing a spec called *IndieUI* which
currently has "screen reader settings" as restricted (private) data.  See
W3C Editors Draft of IndieUI: User Context 1.0 at
https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/IndieUI/raw-file/default/src/indie
-ui-context.html#userScreenReaderSettings  This is not a final spec...nor
is it a law...but to be on the safe side, I advise not collecting this type
of data or making decisions with it.

ADA requirements are not based on statistics.  It only takes one user with
a disability to result in an ADA compliant.

Peace out,
Goodwitch

glenda sims  |   team a11y lead   |    deque.com    |    512.963.3773
*web for everyone. web on everything.* -  w3 goals

[image: IAAP International Association of Accessibility Professionals:
Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)]
<http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/certification>




On Thu, Jan 25, 2018 at 11:22 AM, Lovely, Brian <Brian.Lovely@capitalone.com
> wrote:

> Here’s a two-step answer: 1) Not yet, although the accessible object model
> will likely allow this when it is implemented. 2) It’s a slippery slope
> that should be navigated thoughtfully and carefully. If you want to deliver
> equivalent experiences to all users, detecting some and shunting them to an
> alternate experience is not the best way to do that. Since ensuring
> accessibility generally improves overall usablility, you would want to
> incorporate accessibility in the application/website, and not in some
> accessible ghetto.
>
>
>
> *From:* Patti Burke Lund [mailto:pburkelund@yahoo.com]
> *Sent:* Thursday, January 25, 2018 12:04 PM
> *To:* w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> *Subject:* Assistive Technology Detection
>
>
>
> Hello Everyone! I had a question come in today from a student. I'm hoping
> this group might be able to provide some insight...
>
>
>
> Question:
>
> "I understand accessibility needs to be integrated into every aspect of
> your website. I was wondering if there is any way to detect whether a user
> is using support for their disability and then adjust your website to
> support them even more? Kind of similar to the way Responsive Web Design
> detects browser window size then adjusts accordingly?"
>
>
>
> Thank you!
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Patti
>
>
>
>
>
> *Patti Burke Lund*
>
> Colorado State University | Journalism & Media Communication
>
> patricia.burke-lund@colostate.edu | pburkelund@yahoo.com |
> www.colostate.edu
>
> LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/pburkelund/>
>
>
>
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