Thread Subject: Harmonization - "Both platform and application"

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From: Andi Snow-Weaver
Date: Fri, Sep 21 2007 12:45 PM
Subject: Harmonization - "Both platform and application"

I have an action item to try to resolve our harmonization issues with the
"Both platform and application" provision which is not in either the ISO
software accessibility standard or WCAG 2.0.

Here's the current provision:

Software that is both a 'platform', and an 'application' running on another
platform must:

1. expose the underlying platform's color, contrast, and other
individual display settings to applications running within its platform, so
that these applications can meet the User Preferences provision.
2. define, expose, and translate accessibility service information
between applications running within its platform and the underlying
platform - so that those applications can meet the AT Interoperability
provision.
3. provide mechanisms for:
* moving the keyboard focus into and out of an application, and
* addressing central conflicts between keyboard mnemonics in the
application and the host platform.

I think we can resolve it by moving bullet #1 to "User Preferences" as a
note, removing bullet #2 and adding a sentence to "Accessibility Services",
and deleting bullet #3 as most of it is covered by "Keyboard Operation".
Details below:

Add a note to User Preferences

Current: Applications must provide a mode that utilizes platform settings
for color, contrast, font type, font size, and focus cursor. In the absence
of platform settings for color and contrast, the content must have a
contrast ratio of at least 5:1 except for unavailable items or pure
decoration. Large scale text (or images of large scale text) must allow a
contrast ratio of at least 3:1.

Add note: Application software that is is also a platform must expose the
underlying platform's color, contrast, and other individual display
settings to applications running within its platform, so that these
applications can meet the User Preferences provision.

Add a sentence to the Accessibility Services provision:

Proposed (add 2nd sentence based on the latest ISO draft): Platform
software must provide access to a set of services that enable applications
running on the platform to interact with other assistive technology
sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "User
Interface Components" provisions. If accessibility services are provided by
the platform on which they are run, software toolkits and applications that
are also platfomrs must make these services available to their client
software.

With regard to bullet #3, a platform fails the Keyboard Operation provision
if it does not provide a way to navigate in and out of applications via the
keyboard. The last part of bullet #3, about resolving keyboard mnemonic
conflicts, would be a unique US requirement. I believe it should be
removed. It is generally considered an application responsibility to avoid
conflicts with platform keyboard mnemonics.

Comments?

Andi

From: Peter Korn
Date: Fri, Sep 21 2007 1:10 PM
Subject: Re: Harmonization - "Both platform and application"

Hi Andi,

These are good suggestions, helping us toward an important goal.

I'm still a bit uncomfortable loosing the text of #3, most especially
the first bullet: "provide mechanisms for: * moving the keyboard focus
into and out of an application". I wonder if there is some way to
capture this, perhaps as a note or otherwise in advisory material (e.g.
external to the draft regulations, but on the Access Board website as
expository, explanatory information)? I think that folks making
browsers & browser plug-ins are missing the fact that this requirement
applies to them as well.


Regards,

Peter Korn
Accessibility Architect,
Sun Microsystems, Inc.

> I have an action item to try to resolve our harmonization issues with the
> "Both platform and application" provision which is not in either the ISO
> software accessibility standard or WCAG 2.0.
>
> Here's the current provision:
>
> Software that is both a 'platform', and an 'application' running on another
> platform must:
>
> 1. expose the underlying platform's color, contrast, and other
> individual display settings to applications running within its platform, so
> that these applications can meet the User Preferences provision.
> 2. define, expose, and translate accessibility service information
> between applications running within its platform and the underlying
> platform - so that those applications can meet the AT Interoperability
> provision.
> 3. provide mechanisms for:
> * moving the keyboard focus into and out of an application, and
> * addressing central conflicts between keyboard mnemonics in the
> application and the host platform.
>
> I think we can resolve it by moving bullet #1 to "User Preferences" as a
> note, removing bullet #2 and adding a sentence to "Accessibility Services",
> and deleting bullet #3 as most of it is covered by "Keyboard Operation".
> Details below:
>
> Add a note to User Preferences
>
> Current: Applications must provide a mode that utilizes platform settings
> for color, contrast, font type, font size, and focus cursor. In the absence
> of platform settings for color and contrast, the content must have a
> contrast ratio of at least 5:1 except for unavailable items or pure
> decoration. Large scale text (or images of large scale text) must allow a
> contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
>
> Add note: Application software that is is also a platform must expose the
> underlying platform's color, contrast, and other individual display
> settings to applications running within its platform, so that these
> applications can meet the User Preferences provision.
>
> Add a sentence to the Accessibility Services provision:
>
> Proposed (add 2nd sentence based on the latest ISO draft): Platform
> software must provide access to a set of services that enable applications
> running on the platform to interact with other assistive technology
> sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "User
> Interface Components" provisions. If accessibility services are provided by
> the platform on which they are run, software toolkits and applications that
> are also platfomrs must make these services available to their client
> software.
>
> With regard to bullet #3, a platform fails the Keyboard Operation provision
> if it does not provide a way to navigate in and out of applications via the
> keyboard. The last part of bullet #3, about resolving keyboard mnemonic
> conflicts, would be a unique US requirement. I believe it should be
> removed. It is generally considered an application responsibility to avoid
> conflicts with platform keyboard mnemonics.
>
> Comments?
>
> Andi
>
>

From: James Elekes
Date: Fri, Sep 21 2007 7:30 PM
Subject: Re: Harmonization - "Both platform and application"

Hi Peter,

Speaking from the Board perspective, the Board's Rule Making
Committees have often directed Board staff to develop/make available
Technical Advisory Bulletins to facilitate implementation of Final
Rules. These Technical Bulletins are often updated and,increasingly
are solely electronic documents available on the Board's Website in
PDF, Word or other formats. To keep the information current, while we
can publish "Hard Print" as needed, Board Committees routinely advise
staff to keep documentation dynamic to insure it is the most current
to applicable parties.

-Jim E.

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

(O) 888.564.8430

At 03:01 PM 9/21/2007, you wrote:
>Hi Andi,
>
>These are good suggestions, helping us toward an important goal.
>
>I'm still a bit uncomfortable loosing the text of #3, most especially
>the first bullet: "provide mechanisms for: * moving the keyboard focus
>into and out of an application". I wonder if there is some way to
>capture this, perhaps as a note or otherwise in advisory material (e.g.
>external to the draft regulations, but on the Access Board website as
>expository, explanatory information)? I think that folks making
>browsers & browser plug-ins are missing the fact that this requirement
>applies to them as well.
>
>
>Regards,
>
>Peter Korn
>Accessibility Architect,
>Sun Microsystems, Inc.
>
> > I have an action item to try to resolve our harmonization issues with the
> > "Both platform and application" provision which is not in either the ISO
> > software accessibility standard or WCAG 2.0.
> >
> > Here's the current provision:
> >
> > Software that is both a 'platform', and an 'application' running on another
> > platform must:
> >
> > 1. expose the underlying platform's color, contrast, and other
> > individual display settings to applications running within its platform, so
> > that these applications can meet the User Preferences provision.
> > 2. define, expose, and translate accessibility service information
> > between applications running within its platform and the underlying
> > platform - so that those applications can meet the AT Interoperability
> > provision.
> > 3. provide mechanisms for:
> > * moving the keyboard focus into and out of an application, and
> > * addressing central conflicts between keyboard mnemonics in the
> > application and the host platform.
> >
> > I think we can resolve it by moving bullet #1 to "User Preferences" as a
> > note, removing bullet #2 and adding a sentence to "Accessibility Services",
> > and deleting bullet #3 as most of it is covered by "Keyboard Operation".
> > Details below:
> >
> > Add a note to User Preferences
> >
> > Current: Applications must provide a mode that utilizes platform settings
> > for color, contrast, font type, font size, and focus cursor. In the absence
> > of platform settings for color and contrast, the content must have a
> > contrast ratio of at least 5:1 except for unavailable items or pure
> > decoration. Large scale text (or images of large scale text) must allow a
> > contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
> >
> > Add note: Application software that is is also a platform must expose the
> > underlying platform's color, contrast, and other individual display
> > settings to applications running within its platform, so that these
> > applications can meet the User Preferences provision.
> >
> > Add a sentence to the Accessibility Services provision:
> >
> > Proposed (add 2nd sentence based on the latest ISO draft): Platform
> > software must provide access to a set of services that enable applications
> > running on the platform to interact with other assistive technology
> > sufficient to enable compliance with the "AT interoperability" and "User
> > Interface Components" provisions. If accessibility services are provided by
> > the platform on which they are run, software toolkits and applications that
> > are also platfomrs must make these services available to their client
> > software.
> >
> > With regard to bullet #3, a platform fails the Keyboard Operation provision
> > if it does not provide a way to navigate in and out of applications via the
> > keyboard. The last part of bullet #3, about resolving keyboard mnemonic
> > conflicts, would be a unique US requirement. I believe it should be
> > removed. It is generally considered an application responsibility to avoid
> > conflicts with platform keyboard mnemonics.
> >
> > Comments?
> >
> > Andi
> >
> >

From: Andi Snow-Weaver
Date: Wed, Sep 26 2007 7:45 AM
Subject: Re: Harmonization - "Both platform and application"

Peter wrote:

I'm still a bit uncomfortable loosing the text of #3, most especially the
first bullet: "provide mechanisms for: * moving the keyboard focus into and
out of an application". I wonder if there is some way to capture this,
perhaps as a note or otherwise in advisory material (e.g. external to the
draft regulations, but on the Access Board website as expository,
explanatory information)? I think that folks making browsers & browser
plug-ins are missing the fact that this requirement
applies to them as well.

Peter,

We could add a note to Keyboard operation but there are already 4 notes
there now. This seems like a candidate for the explanatory material we have
planned to start collecting. I'll try to get something set up today so that
we can start collecting this information.

Andi