Thread Subject: Re: FW: Latest controls access language

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From: Larry Goldberg
Date: Tue, Oct 23 2007 9:35 AM

As Dave Singer requests, could you put that last general statement into
language changes or are you suggesting that there is such a solid line
separating that what from the how that we not have any language about
usability or ease of use of controls?

Remember, we have narrowed our discussion to focusing on TV products only at
this point - at the end of the last SC meeting, we agreed to not expand to
all media players.

Or did we?

... Larry ...


Greg Fields wrote:

> If I could expand on Andrew's point ... the requirements we are working
> on help provide guidance for "what" E&IT must do, and usability is a
> design and implementation considerations that defines "how" E&IT must
> function to meet the "what" requirements.
>
> Greg Fields, Certified Usability Analyst
> Accessibility Product Manager
> Handheld Product Management
> Research In Motion (RIM)
> Telephone: 1 519 888 7465, ext.73867
> Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> URL: http://www.blackberry.com/accessibility
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Andrew
> Kirkpatrick
> Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 11:08 AM
> To: TEITAC Audio/Video Subcommittee
> Cc: Toby R. Silver; = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ; Rosaline Crawford;
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> Subject: Re: [teitac-video] FW: Latest controls access language
>
> That relates to configuration - this might be interpreted to mean that
> the agency needs to turn captions on for you, but doesn't speak to a
> requirement on the manufacturer...
>
> Usability is a great goal to strive toward, but the additional burden on
> testability puts it outside the scope of 508. Perhaps we can get this
> clarified on the call today?
>
> AWK
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>> [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of
>> Karen Peltz Strauss
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 10:39 AM
>> To: TEITAC Audio/Video Subcommittee
>> Cc: Toby R. Silver; Rosaline Crawford; = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ;
>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>> Subject: Re: [teitac-video] FW: Latest controls access language
>>
>> Once again, I want to emphasize that usability is just as
>> much a part of Section 508 as accessibility is. Note the
>> following section contained in the September 14 draft of our
>> guidelines:
>>
>>
>>
>> 1.2 General Technical Requirements
>>
>> 1.2-A - Accessibility Configuration
>>
>>
>>
>> In complying with this subpart, each agency must activate
>> accessibility features and configure products so that they
>> are accessible to and usable by people with disabilities
>>
>> As noted during our calls, at present, access to captioning
>> controls is unattainable because it is not usable - i.e. the
>> access to these controls
>> is so buried that no one can figure out how to activate it. This is
>> exacerbated by the arrival of increasingly complex video
>> programming apparatuses.
>>
>> Karen
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Andrew Kirkpatrick" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>> To: "TEITAC Audio/Video Subcommittee"
>> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >; "Al Sonnenstrahl"
>> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >; < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >; "Toby R. Silver"
>> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >; < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >; < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 5:34 PM
>> Subject: Re: [teitac-video] FW: Latest controls access
>> language (3:55pm ET)
>>
>>
>>>>> And attempted re-write for clarity:
>>>>>
>>>>> In products that receive or display analog or digital
>> television, a
>>>>> user needing access to an accessibility feature must be
>>>> able to find
>>>>> easily, and use easily, both the controls needed to enable that
>>>>> accessibility feature, and other general controls that that
>>>> user also
>>>>> needs to be able to use. In at least one location, these
>>>> controls must
>>>>> be comparable in prominence to the controls needed to
>>>> control volume,
>>>>> or perform program selection, where the ability to control these
>>>>> features is otherwise provided.
>>>
>>> I know that the editorial group will not go for this since
>> it has the
>>> subjective phrases such as "find easily" and "comparable in
>> prominence".
>>>
>>> I think that these concepts are covered in the examples,
>> which might
>>> leave us with a hardware requirement for televisions and
>> devices that
>>> display analog and digital televisions:
>>>
>>> Hardware products that receive or display analog or digital
>> television
>>> must provide controls needed for users to enable captioning
>> and audio
>>> description.
>>>
>>> I know that this not going to satisfy everyone's desires, but it is
>>> testable and ensures that there is a way for users to
>> accomplish what
>>> is needed even if it isn't deemed as optimally usable as an
>> approach
>>> that might work for some but not all current devices.
>>>
>>> And then we have the same examples:
>>>
>>>>> For example:
>>>>> 1. For captioning:
>>>>> (a) A caption on/off on a TV remote comparable in
>>>> prominence to the
>>>>> volume control on that remote;
>>>>> (b) Caption controls on the first menu that appear when
>>>> on-screen
>>>>> menus are displayed
>>>>>
>>>>> 2. Audio equivalents to on-screen information and visual menu
>>>>> selections 3. A tactile button to turn on audio
>>>> equivalents; 4. A user
>>>>> preferences dialog that is accessible and directly
>> reachable from a
>>>>> login screen.
>>>
>>> AWK
>>>

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