From The Linux Foundation

Discussion 17 September 2007

NS: CSUN has posted abstracts online in the past, however there have been significant technological problems last 2 years

JS: maybe need a URI that we are in controll over as a fail-safe?

NS: never actually asked for a paper after a talk -- only mount abstracts

JS: one thing that is missing -- reference that we've looked at all these use cases

'verbiage added to draft 1 in real-time during meeting

Summary:

• Proposal Title: Expert Markup Handlers for AT: A Proposal From Open A11y

• Proposal Abstract:
  • This Open A11y panel will discuss, and gather additional requirements for its proposed interface specification to facilitate plugins to AT for enhanced knowledge domain accessibility.

• Session Level: Advanced

• Track: Other

• Length: 60 Minute session

Proposed Prose

Generalized content markup (such as HTML) is complimented by markup specifications that facilitate more semantically precise content markup. Examples of specialized, semantically precise markup include MathML and MusicXML. Assistive technology (AT) typically handles generalized content markup, but does not know about specialized markup. Because of this, users of AT are unable to access or navigate specialized markup effectively.

The Open A11y Expert Handlers A11y is exploring a standardized plug-in mechanism to AT software. The goal of this plug-in standard is to allow AT software to take advantage of expert software that understands specialized markup. This plug-in standard will allow the expert software to provide enhanced, semantically rich access to specialized markup so that the AT can properly render (visually, aurally, and/or tactilely) and help users navigate the semantic meaning encoded in the specialized markup.

The Open A11y Expert Handlers SIG has gathered use cases and developed requirements for proposed plugin specifications for:

• Braille
• Speech
• Magnification
• Navagability

In this session the panel will explain its work to date and invite comments on its work from the audience.

(Note: Janina will re-work last paragraph and post it to the handlers list after finalizes main A11y CSUN 2008 Proposal)

Attendance at CSUN 2008

NS: who will be at CSUN?

V: no funding for participation; will tell i want to go again

• Janina
• Neil
• Vladmir (possible; proposals may help get funding)
• Shawn (possible; proposals may help get funding)
• GJR
• Pete (working on getting there; proposals definitely help)

Shawn: need to get funding

NS: can everyone let Janina know by the end of business Wednesday? -- submission due 21 September 2007!

NS: a11y has no official existence outside of linux foundation?

JS: a workgroup of the Linux Foundation

PB: ask LF for funding for GJR

JS: will make inquiries

GJR: thanks pete!

JS: will work on main a11y proposal tonight so out before tomorrow's call

JS: should ask Rich what is going on with OpenOffice?

JS: couple of procedural things -- 60 not 30 minutes; panel; equipment: none; categorization?

GJR: cross-disability and cross-platform and cross-discipline equals "other"

JS: do we need to add input to the list of use cases?

V: may not pertain to all cases

Shawn: speech input important case

GJR: speech input a key component of my question about ISV (international scientific vocabulary) -- is it used, and can it be used for bi-directional communication of specialized knowledge dialects?

JS: GOK - Gnome Onscreen Keyboard (consult ATRC at U of Toronto)

Items for 2007/09/24 Call

NS: add input handlers to next week's agenda

GJR: tried to address in navigation -- bi-directional gestures, whether input or output irrelevant