Thread Subject: Platform software requirement to provide accessibility services

Return to this mailing list's archives

From: Andi Snow-Weaver
Date: Wed, Aug 15 2007 7:30 AM
Subject: Platform software requirement to provide accessibility services

I took an action item yesterday to propose a provision that would require
platform software to provide accessibility services. Here is one modeled
after the corresponding ISO provision:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable assistive
technologies to interact with other software sufficient to enable
compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "Information and
Relationships" provision.

Issues and comments?

Andi

From: Hoffman, Allen
Date: Fri, Aug 17 2007 7:35 AM
Subject: Re: Platform software requirement to provideaccessibility services

Andi wrote:
"I took an action item yesterday to propose a provision that would
require platform software to provide accessibility services. Here is one
modeled after the corresponding ISO provision:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable assistive
technologies to interact with other software sufficient to enable
compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "Information and
Relationships" provision."

Comment:
First, I feel this is essential to provide both rationale for platform
producers to include this kind of functionality, and second for
requiring officials to select based upon this, and third, to map our AT
interoperability more fully across the board as this is an end-to-end
set of responsibilities. Next, this kind of provision is more clear
than the current items in 1194.21(b). Finally, might this be tweaked to
include:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable
applications and assistive technologies to interact with other software
sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and
"Information and Relationships" provision."

This inclusion of "applications" might make it clear that all components
are involved in this picture.

Great provision Andi!

From: Barrett, Don
Date: Fri, Aug 17 2007 7:40 AM
Subject: Re: Platform software requirement toprovideaccessibility services

Does anyone think this standard needs examples to flesh it out for
vendors/testers who may not understand it?

-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of
Hoffman, Allen
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 9:32 AM
To: TEITAC Web/Software Subcommittee
Subject: Re: [teitac-websoftware] Platform software requirement
toprovideaccessibility services

Andi wrote:
"I took an action item yesterday to propose a provision that would
require platform software to provide accessibility services. Here is one
modeled after the corresponding ISO provision:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable assistive
technologies to interact with other software sufficient to enable
compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "Information and
Relationships" provision."

Comment:
First, I feel this is essential to provide both rationale for platform
producers to include this kind of functionality, and second for
requiring officials to select based upon this, and third, to map our AT
interoperability more fully across the board as this is an end-to-end
set of responsibilities. Next, this kind of provision is more clear
than the current items in 1194.21(b). Finally, might this be tweaked to
include:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable
applications and assistive technologies to interact with other software
sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and
"Information and Relationships" provision."

This inclusion of "applications" might make it clear that all components
are involved in this picture.

Great provision Andi!

From: Andi Snow-Weaver
Date: Fri, Aug 17 2007 9:25 AM
Subject: Re: Platform software requirement to provideaccessibility services

Andi's proposal:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable assistive
technologies to interact with other software sufficient to enable
compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "Information and
Relationships" provision."

<Andi notes that there is a typo in her proposal. It should be "User
interface components" instead of "Information and Relationships">

Allen's Comment:
First, I feel this is essential to provide both rationale for platform
producers to include this kind of functionality, and second for
requiring officials to select based upon this, and third, to map our AT
interoperability more fully across the board as this is an end-to-end
set of responsibilities. Next, this kind of provision is more clear
than the current items in 1194.21(b). Finally, might this be tweaked to
include:

Allen's alternate proposal:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable
applications and assistive technologies to interact with other software
sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and
"User Interface Components" provision."

Allen, this provision is only about platforms providing a set of services
to enable AT to interact with other software. The AT interoperability and
User Interface Components provisions are the ones that require applications
to actually do the things needed to interact with AT.

I don't see it as related to the current 21(b) provision which is about
accessibility "features". I think of accessibility "features" as end user
functionality and accessibility "services" as programming interfaces.

So I don't think we should add "applications" to this provision.

Andi

From: Hoffman, Allen
Date: Fri, Aug 17 2007 9:45 AM
Subject: Re: Platform software requirement toprovideaccessibility services

I can live with that. I may just not have made myself clear that I
think the accessibility services are intended to allow both AT and
applications to work together, not just for the platform and AT--which
may be an interpretation without inclusion of applications in the list.




Allen Hoffman -- = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ; v: 202-447-0303

-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Andi
Snow-Weaver
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 11:19 AM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: Re: [teitac-websoftware] Platform software requirement
toprovideaccessibility services


Andi's proposal:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable assistive
technologies to interact with other software sufficient to enable
compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "Information and
Relationships" provision."

<Andi notes that there is a typo in her proposal. It should be "User
interface components" instead of "Information and Relationships">

Allen's Comment:
First, I feel this is essential to provide both rationale for platform
producers to include this kind of functionality, and second for
requiring officials to select based upon this, and third, to map our AT
interoperability more fully across the board as this is an end-to-end
set of responsibilities. Next, this kind of provision is more clear than
the current items in 1194.21(b). Finally, might this be tweaked to
include:

Allen's alternate proposal:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable
applications and assistive technologies to interact with other software
sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "User
Interface Components" provision."

Allen, this provision is only about platforms providing a set of
services to enable AT to interact with other software. The AT
interoperability and User Interface Components provisions are the ones
that require applications to actually do the things needed to interact
with AT.

I don't see it as related to the current 21(b) provision which is about
accessibility "features". I think of accessibility "features" as end
user functionality and accessibility "services" as programming
interfaces.

So I don't think we should add "applications" to this provision.

Andi

From: Peter Korn
Date: Fri, Aug 17 2007 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: Platform software requirement toprovideaccessibility services

Hi Don,

> Does anyone think this standard needs examples to flesh it out for
> vendors/testers who may not understand it?
>

We've had a bunch of hallway conversations about doing this in a set of
supplementary material to provide to the Access Board (and suggest that
they in turn provide it to everyone). I believe this is on our work
list for after September.


Regards,

Peter Korn
Accessibility Architect,
Sun Microsystems, Inc.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of
> Hoffman, Allen
> Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 9:32 AM
> To: TEITAC Web/Software Subcommittee
> Subject: Re: [teitac-websoftware] Platform software requirement
> toprovideaccessibility services
>
> Andi wrote:
> "I took an action item yesterday to propose a provision that would
> require platform software to provide accessibility services. Here is one
> modeled after the corresponding ISO provision:
>
> Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable assistive
> technologies to interact with other software sufficient to enable
> compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "Information and
> Relationships" provision."
>
> Comment:
> First, I feel this is essential to provide both rationale for platform
> producers to include this kind of functionality, and second for
> requiring officials to select based upon this, and third, to map our AT
> interoperability more fully across the board as this is an end-to-end
> set of responsibilities. Next, this kind of provision is more clear
> than the current items in 1194.21(b). Finally, might this be tweaked to
> include:
>
> Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable
> applications and assistive technologies to interact with other software
> sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and
> "Information and Relationships" provision."
>
> This inclusion of "applications" might make it clear that all components
> are involved in this picture.
>
> Great provision Andi!
>
>
>
>
>

From: Sean Hayes
Date: Fri, Aug 17 2007 1:35 PM
Subject: Re: Platform software requirement to provideaccessibility services

I have a slight concern with the phrasing
"Platform software shall provide a set..."

For some platforms, such as an operating system this is the case, but in other cases a platform may be providing access to an underlying set of services provided at a lower level in the stack. Or in some architectures, the platform doesn't really provide anything at all, the applications actually provide the services by implementing an interface, the platform - if it is involved at all - is merely an 'introduction service' so that AT can find the application implementation interface.

Thus I would like to reword this more generically as:
"Platform software shall provide access to a set..."

Sean Hayes
Incubation Lab
Accessibility Business Unit
Microsoft


-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Andi Snow-Weaver
Sent: 17 August 2007 16:19
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: Re: [teitac-websoftware] Platform software requirement to provideaccessibility services


Andi's proposal:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable assistive
technologies to interact with other software sufficient to enable
compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "Information and
Relationships" provision."

<Andi notes that there is a typo in her proposal. It should be "User
interface components" instead of "Information and Relationships">

Allen's Comment:
First, I feel this is essential to provide both rationale for platform
producers to include this kind of functionality, and second for
requiring officials to select based upon this, and third, to map our AT
interoperability more fully across the board as this is an end-to-end
set of responsibilities. Next, this kind of provision is more clear
than the current items in 1194.21(b). Finally, might this be tweaked to
include:

Allen's alternate proposal:

Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable
applications and assistive technologies to interact with other software
sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and
"User Interface Components" provision."

Allen, this provision is only about platforms providing a set of services
to enable AT to interact with other software. The AT interoperability and
User Interface Components provisions are the ones that require applications
to actually do the things needed to interact with AT.

I don't see it as related to the current 21(b) provision which is about
accessibility "features". I think of accessibility "features" as end user
functionality and accessibility "services" as programming interfaces.

So I don't think we should add "applications" to this provision.

Andi

From: James Elekes
Date: Fri, Aug 17 2007 2:20 PM
Subject: Re: Platform software requirement toprovideaccessibility services

Hi Peter,

Your idea has merit! The Access Board Committees I Chair are always
encouraging Board staff to support work with mateirial to provide
"Technical Support/Assistance" when we're developing
Guidelines/Standards. I believe,as do my fellow Board Members, as
the experts, TEITAC Members are best qualified to cite/ provide
materials that will further the process by creating examples, etc
which individuals who talk the industry talk can follow.

I've made this preference known to Board staff and, the Board's
Telecommunications, Electronic/Information Technologies Committee
concurs with this fully.

-Jim

James J. Elekes, Chairman
Telecommunications, Electronic/Information Technologies Committee
United States Access board

(O) 888.564.8430

At 11:51 AM 8/17/2007, you wrote:
>Hi Don,
>
> > Does anyone think this standard needs examples to flesh it out for
> > vendors/testers who may not understand it?
> >
>
>We've had a bunch of hallway conversations about doing this in a set of
>supplementary material to provide to the Access Board (and suggest that
>they in turn provide it to everyone). I believe this is on our work
>list for after September.
>
>
>Regards,
>
>Peter Korn
>Accessibility Architect,
>Sun Microsystems, Inc.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> > [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of
> > Hoffman, Allen
> > Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 9:32 AM
> > To: TEITAC Web/Software Subcommittee
> > Subject: Re: [teitac-websoftware] Platform software requirement
> > toprovideaccessibility services
> >
> > Andi wrote:
> > "I took an action item yesterday to propose a provision that would
> > require platform software to provide accessibility services. Here is one
> > modeled after the corresponding ISO provision:
> >
> > Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable assistive
> > technologies to interact with other software sufficient to enable
> > compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "Information and
> > Relationships" provision."
> >
> > Comment:
> > First, I feel this is essential to provide both rationale for platform
> > producers to include this kind of functionality, and second for
> > requiring officials to select based upon this, and third, to map our AT
> > interoperability more fully across the board as this is an end-to-end
> > set of responsibilities. Next, this kind of provision is more clear
> > than the current items in 1194.21(b). Finally, might this be tweaked to
> > include:
> >
> > Platform software shall provide a set of services that enable
> > applications and assistive technologies to interact with other software
> > sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and
> > "Information and Relationships" provision."
> >
> > This inclusion of "applications" might make it clear that all components
> > are involved in this picture.
> >
> > Great provision Andi!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >