Thread Subject: Re: 1-G - Text size

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From: Andi Snow-Weaver
Date: Mon, Mar 24 2008 5:05 AM

Gregg,

The last paragraph on "Rationale for Note 6" doesn't make sense anymore
since there is no Note 6 in your proposal.

Andi




Gregg
Vanderheiden
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ac.org Subject
[teitac-committee] 1-G - Text size

03/22/2008 11:43
AM


Please respond to
TEITAC Committee
<teitac-committee
@list.teitac.org>






OK Wish me luck. Here is an attempt to address the comments etc to see if
we can come up with something to cover this important area – that is not
covered elsewhere. Hopefully this will allow us to work toward consensus
on this provision.

First – and most important change - it is limited to public or shared
products. These are things that a person cannot modify, mark up, or buy
their own version of. It also can be things that they don't know about in
advance of encountering.

This allows personally (or personally assigned) cell phone, keyboards, etc
to be excluded.

This does open up the problem talked about on other provisions – that an
agency would buy one type of cell phone (for example) and then write
software that only works with that phone (or type of phone). The user
with low vision may know of phones they could use – but none of them work
with the software – so they have to use a phone that has only small print
on it. I don't know how to get around this. The best I could do was the
note that says ‘if you all have to use the same type of personally assigned
device then it constitutes a ‘shared device’ since all must use the same
one (the same type).


Summary of features
- applies only to public or shared devices !!
- allows personally (or personally assigned) cell phone,
keyboards, etc to be excluded. (except where user cannot use any but
one type of device)
- removes the font sizes from the notes – since people were
reading that as a required font size.
- removes the 4.5 inch screen note (same reason)
- moves safety label exception to a note since it is already
covered but needs to be made explicit
- adds detail to note on keys that don't need labels in order
to use the product (tactilely unique)
- removes the note “See also 3-D-User Preferences for software
products that run on operating systems that provide a function to set
user preferences.” to reduce clutter but this can be added back if
desired.
- Adds a note for software that says “Software that is not
associated or purchased with any particular hardware (so the text does
not have a physical size until it is displayed) can be evaluated on any
typical display that the software is intended to work with.” This
eliminates all the pixel calculations (which will not remain valid) and
also separates stand alone software from software in a product.



Try this one on for size. (sorry – not intended)
gregg

1-G - Text size (Discussed Feb 7, 12, 19, March 18)


For all public or shared products, there must be at least one mode where
all information that is required for product use and is provided in text or
images of text is readable by people with 20/20 vision at 3.5 times their
typical viewing distance. This mode must be the default mode unless the
activation method for that mode can be done at 3.5 times the typical
viewing distance or the product automatically sets itself to that mode for
users who require it. This requirement does not apply to the caption
decoding functions of products that are governed by U.S. Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) regulations 47 CFR 15.119 or to devices
which provide equivalent functionality as stipulated by 4-A - Caption
Processing.


Note 1: Safety labels, regulatory labels, and other marks (such as logos
and certifications) are not included unless for some reason they are
required by the user “for product use”.


Note 2: If other means of visually conveying the information in the label
or instructions exists (e.g. uniquely tactilely discernible through shape),
then the text is not "required for product use" and the text size
requirement does not apply. For example, a phone-like numeric keypad
(with nib) or a tactilely unique cluster of arrow keys are usable without
labels while softkeys (where the function changes and must be read from a
display) would not be usable without the label.


Note 3: Personal or personally assigned devices are not covered unless all
users must use the same product (or same type of product) (e.g. policy or
in order to work with system software or procedures). In that case it
constitutes a ‘shared device’ since all must use the same one (the same
type) and that product (or type) would need to meet provision.


Note 4: Providing text in an accessible file on a device meets this
requirement for information that is not location specific (e.g. labels are
location specific).


Note 5: Software that is not associated or purchased with any particular
hardware (so the text does not have a physical size until it is displayed)
can be evaluated on any typical display that the software is intended to
work with.


Rationale
The goal of this provision is to support people with low vision. People
with vision worse than 20/70 typically use an assistive device, so this
provision is aimed at supporting those with vision between 20/40 and 20/70.
For people with 20/20 vision viewing text at 40 cm (15.7 inch), 8pt
type is a small but acceptable type size for running text and
somewhat smaller text could be used for common labels where it is
mostly identifying which key is which rather than having to read
novel and/or un-expected information.
For people with 20/70 vision, an acceptable size for running text is
approximately 28pts at 40 cm viewing distance and somewhat smaller
text could be used for common labels
If we assume users with low vision can move in closer (half distance
- 20 cm) to view text (and that their glasses allow this), 14 pt type
would provide type that subtends the same visual angle (as 28 pt at
40 cm).
Although many users with low vision will use close vision coupled with
glasses that focus their vision – it is too hard for designers to work off
of this – and all glasses are custom. The 3.5 distance with 20/20 gives a
measure that is repeatable and will yield text that is legible to who need
larger clearer type. It also automatically allows text to be smaller if it
is clear and requires it to be larger if it, for example, used very thin
stem width.
Some users with low vision have a field of view limitation. They can use
small print modes if available. In general though, signage and other
existing access regulations are based on the assumption that larger print
is more universally accessible for people with low vision than print that
is small to accommodate people with field of view limitations who cannot
step back to shrink the size of the text in their view. (Note also that
this provision does not require very large text – just text that is not
small.


At a workstation, it is reasonable to assume that special reading aids
(such as a moderate magnifying glass) would be available even if user’s
vision is in the range of 20/30 to 20/70, and fonts can therefore be
smaller. The sizes for devices designed to be used away from a person's
workstation are aimed at those with low vision but not very low vision
(beyond 20/70). This is based on an assumption that:
People with 20/70 vision or better would not usually carry a
magnifying device with them.
People with worse than 20/70 vision would usually carry portable
optical magnifying devices (including special glasses) with them.
The Note “Software that is not associated or purchased with any particular
hardware (so the text does not have a physical size until it is displayed)
can be evaluated on any typical display that the software is intended to
work with.” eliminates all pixel calculations (which will not remain
valid) and also separates stand alone software from software in a product.
The provision is limited to public or shared products. These are things
that a person cannot modify, mark up, or buy their own version of. It also
can be things that they don't know about in advance of encountering. This
allows personally (or personally assigned) cell phone, keyboards, etc to be
excluded. However, this does open up the problem talked about on other
provisions – that an agency would buy one type of cell phone (for example)
and then write software that only works with that phone (or type of phone).
The user with low vision may know of phones they could use – but none of
them work with the software – so they have to use a phone that has only
small print on it. In this case we believe the issue can be addressed with
a note that explains “Personal or personally assigned devices are not
covered unless all users must use the same product (or same type of
product) (e.g. policy or in order to work with system software or
procedures). In that case it constitutes a ‘shared device’ since all must
use the same one (the same type) and that product (or type) would need to
meet provision.”


Rationale for Note 6: The FCC rules and the CEA-708 standard are designed
to enable DTV receivers to display caption text in a window on the screen
that is readable but also does not obscure the video content. Caption text
is displayed in a window relative in proportion to screen size, but an
absolute text size is not defined. Current DTV receivers with 708 decoders
must support standard, small, and large caption text size and support the
ability of the viewer to choose size, but absolute text size is still
relative to the size of the display. The “windowing” environment of CEA-708
was designed to allow caption providers to create a targeted safe area for
caption display while allowing consumers to grow or shrink captions within
that window. Even at the large caption text size, however, very small
screen sizes may not permit display of caption text in compliance with this
provision. For video programming, this requirement can best be met by
ensuring that displays located in public places or at a person’s
workstation are large enough to display caption text so that it meets the
requirements of this provision.


Open issues
Remove or edit second sentence to make the scope clear.


Gregg

------------------------
Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Professor - Depts of Ind. Engr. & BioMed Engr.
Director - Trace R & D Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison
<http://trace.wisc.edu/> FAX 608/262-8848
DSS Player at http://tinyurl.com/dho6b
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