Web and Software: Cognitive compatibility with AT

Proposal on compatibility with AT for people with cognitive disabilities

• Add the following two requirements:
  • Software for rendering or authoring text shall provide the following features or support for assistive technology that implements the features:
    • the ability to determine the definition of a word in the rendered text
    • the ability to read the rendered text outloud
  • Software for authoring text shall provide the ability to check for spelling errors and correct them or support for assistive technology that implements the feature.

Summary of discussion on proposal on cognitive and compatibility with AT

• Software for rendering text that doesn't also allow authoring are available, such as the Adobe reader, MS Office viewers, or even Web browsers. If such software uses accessibility APIs sufficiently, then ATs for people with cognitive disabilities could provide the function.
• Is there some way we want to constrain what "render" means here?
• Is "rendering-only" software covered by our second provision. Isn't there one that applied to software that "authors or renders text" and a second one that applies to software that only "renders" text?
• Suggested that this be combined with the authoring and user-agent items.
• Is there AT now that can allow the user to highlight a word in anything on screen and offer spelling and/or dictionary function?
• what are the underlying obstacles to such software beyond such things as scanned images of text?
• If a software application meets the other existing software requirements now, will AT of this type generally work? If so,is this requirement redundant,, or do we want to require this be a built-in feature in preference to add-on?
• Should a grammer checker be added?
• Discussed at the February, 28, 2007 meeting

Update as of July 10, 2007

• Summary - Andi's post on July 10, 2007
• Alternatives to speeded responses
  • provided by the Timing provision
• word lookup and text reading, or compatibility with text reading tools
  • with the new AT interoperability provision, AT could provide both of these functions
  • AT for people with cognitive disabilities does not follow the same model as screen reader/magnifier AT. It is generally a stand-alone application operating on the documents rather than interoperating with the applications. Some do work with a handful of applications but generally not with all applications even if they support AT interoperability.
• spelling correction for spelling-sensitive interactions
  • with the new AT interoperability provision, AT could provide this function
  • ISO has a recommendation, not a requirement that platforms should provide system-wide support for spelling assistance.

Summary of mailing list discussion

• good example of issues around requiring software to work with AT
• include explanatory text along with TEITAC report and recommend that the government consider funding AT in this space
  • NSF has a grant proposal for SIBR/University funding
• system-wide spelling support
  • might not be feasible for non-desktop categories of IT devices
  • Windows has a framework, third party vendors supply the engines - recommending that platform software provide this service as a best practice takes away this marketplace
• important requirement is to read aloud any piece of content while simultaneously highlighting what is being read.
  • this is the "text reading" requirement above