Critical missing feature in SSML specification

In reviewing the SSML specification we (PF Group) overlooked an extremely
critical missing feature in the last call draft.

It is absolutely essential that SSML support a <STOP> command.

Scenario:

Screen reader users will often hit the stop command to tell the speech
synthesizer to stop speaking. Screen Readers would use the <MARK>
annotation as a way to have the speech engine tell the screen reader when
speech has been processed (marker processed). In the event that the user
tells the screen reader to stop speaking the screen reader should be able
to send a stop command to the speech engine which would utltimately flush
the speech buffers. Markers not returned would help the screen reader know
where the user left off in the user interface (maintain point of regard
relative to what has been spoken).

I apologize for not submitting this in our last call review but this is a
hard requirement. Otherwise, we SSML cannot support screen readers.

Rich

Rich Schwerdtfeger
STSM, Software Group Accessibility Strategist
Emerging Internet Technologies
Chair, IBM Accessibility Architecture Review  Board
schwer@us.ibm.com, Phone: 512-838-4593,T/L: 678-4593

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.",
Frost

Received on Wednesday, 29 January 2003 12:37:18 UTC