Overview of main relevant 'Content Usable' sections

[RealJoshue108]

I'm adding these items are relevant areas of interest regarding NAUR from the COGA TF.

Examples of additional content needed

• Reduce the reliance on memory and executive function
• Follow best practices for usability (see voice menus paper in previous section for details)
• Avoid distractions and unnecessary content
• Finding help, which is a hugely important topic that can be expanded or perhaps given its own section rather than being part of 2.6.1 Understanding How to Interact With the Interface. (See the links above and below in section-specific suggestions for a lot of specific examples how how “help” needs to be addressed.)

[RealJoshue108]

While I like these suggestions, as mentioned the finding help option, which is covered in this section: but could be expanded on.

There will be more that we look at from the Voice Menus paper - usability best practice is always good to highlight, and we could point to relevant COGA research - such as content usable. I'm not sure how we could specify 'Reduce the reliance on memory and executive function' in the content of Natural Language Interfaces however.

[RealJoshue108]

Editorial

[RealJoshue108]

I've made some edits to the REQ 16 - simplified them. Hopefully this makes them clearer. These changes are in the section - 'Understanding how to interact with the interface' of the 'naur_coga_edits_2022' branch

[lseeman]

hi I do not feel this is editorial

please review the section on proposed solutions at https://w3c.github.io/coga/issue-papers/voice-menus.html for detailed list unbder proposed solutions.

Human backup For users who are unable to use the automated system, it must be possible to reach a human, either in a call center or another operator, through an easy transfer process (that is, not by being directed to call another phone number). There should be a reserved digit for requesting a human operator. The most common digit used for this purpose is "0"; however, if another digit is already in widespread use in a particular country, then that digit should always be available to get to a human agent. Systems especially should not attempt to make it difficult for users to reach an agent through the use of complex digit combinations. This could be enforced by requiring implementations to not allow the reserved digit to mean anything other than going to an operator. Other digits similarly could be used for specific reserved functions, keeping in mind that too many reserved digits will be confusing and difficult to learn. Remembering more than one or two reserved digits may be problematic for some users, but repeated verbal recitals of the reserved digits will also be distracting.

User settings User-specific settings can be used to customize the voice user interface, keeping in mind that the available mechanisms for invoking user-specific settings are minimal in a voice interface (speech or DTMF tones). If it is difficult to set user preferences, they won't be used. Setting preferences by natural language is the most natural ("slow down!") but is not currently very common. Extra time should be a user setting for both the speed of speech and ability for the user to define if they need a slower speech or more input time etc. Timed text should be adjustable (as with all accessible media). The user should be able to extend or disable time out as a system default on their device Error recovery should be simple, and take you to a human operator. Error response should not though the user off the line or send them to a more complex menu. Preferably they should use a reserved digit. Timed text should be adjustable (as with all accessible media). Advertisement and other information should not be read as it can confuse the user and can make it harder to retain attention. Terms used should be as simple as possible. Examples and advice should be given on how to build a prompt that reduces the cognitive load Example 1: Reducing cognitive load: The prompt "press 1 for the the secretary," requires the user to remember the digit 1 while interpreting the term secretary. It is less good then the prompt "for the secretary (pause): press 1" or " for the secretary (pause) or for more help (pause): press 1" Example 2: Setting a default for a human operator as the number 0 Follow best practices in general VUI design Standard best practices in voice user interface apply to users with cognitive disabilities, and should be followed. A good reference is published by The Association for Voice Interaction Design Wiki [AVIxD]. Another good reference is [ETSI ETR 096]. Some examples of generally accepted best practices in voice user interface design: Pauses are important between phrases in order to allow processing time of language and options. Options in text should be given before the digit to select, or the instruction to select that option. This will mean that the user does not need to remember the digit or instruction whilst processing the term. For example: The prompt "press 1 for the the secretary," requires the user to remember the digit 1 while interpreting the term "secretary". A better prompt is "for the secretary (pause): press 1" or " for the secretary (pause) or for more help (pause): press 1" Error recovery should be simple, and take the user to a human operator if the error persists. Error responses should not end the call or send the user to a more complex menu. Advertisements and other extraneous information should not be read as it can confuse the user and can make it harder to retain attention. Terms used should be as simple and jargon-free as possible. Tapered prompts should be used to increase the level of prompt detail when the user does not respond as expected. See the AVIxD wiki cited above for additional recommendation and detail. Considerations for Speech Recognition For speech recognition based systems, an existing ETSI standard for voice commands for many European languages exists and should be used where possible [ETSI 202 076], keeping in mind that expecting people to learn more than a few commands places a burden on the user. Natural language understanding systems allow users to state their requests in their own words, and can be useful for users who have difficulty remembering menu options, or who have difficulty mapping the offered menu options to their goals. However, natural language interfaces can be difficult to use for users who have difficulty producing speech or language. Directed dialog (menu-based) fallback or transfer to an agent should be provided. Follow requirements of legislation For example, the U.S. Telecommunications Act Section 255 Accessibility Guidelines [Section255] paragraph 1193.41 Input, control, and mechanical functions, clauses (g), (h) and (i) apply to cognitive disabilities and require that equipment should be operable without time-dependent controls, the ability to speak, and should be operable by persons with limited cognitive skills. Technology-based solutions Recent developments in call center technology may be helpful for users with cognitive disabilities. Visual IVR. When a call comes in on a smartphone, the system can ask the user if they want to switch over to a visual interface which mirrors the voice interface. This allows a user to see the prompts instead of having to remember them. Adaptive voice interface. This is a technology that is sensitive to the user's behavior and changes the voice interface dynamically. For example, it can slow down or speed up to match the user's speech rate [Adaptive]. Tapered prompts. Best practices in voice user interface design include providing several different prompts for each point in the interaction. The different prompts are used based on the user's behavior. For example, if the user takes a long time to respond to a prompt, a simpler or more explanatory version of the prompt by be used instead of the default. Human assistance. Although the user interacts normally with the voice system, in case the system is unable to process the user's speech, a human agent acts behind the scenes to perform the necessary processing. This would allow users with a limited ability to speak (whose speech might not be recognized by a speech recognizer) to interact with the system.

[lseeman]

note that was one of the issue paper refrenced as a source document in in content useable but has the key points on menue systems in one place

[RealJoshue108]

Thanks for that @lseeman - I did read the paper, and it has good suggestions IMO - but i'm not clear how it maps to the current draft NAUR? So I'm looking for helpful suggestions on what parts of the Voice Menu paper - maps to our current draft?

[RealJoshue108]

@lseeman I will also flag the suggestions above on the Research Questions call for further discussion. I'm also interested in your opinion on how users with a lack of memory function can be supported in the design of these types of Natural Language Interfaces? Any interesting suggestions for dealing with menus in this context?

[RealJoshue108]

Discussed in Research Questions task force https://www.w3.org/2022/02/16-rqtf-minutes.html

[RealJoshue108]

I've added a para on cognitive accessibility to the NAUR, and a link to the content usable document. They are in this branch for further discussion in next Research Questions meeting. https://raw.githack.com/w3c/apa/naur_coga_edits_2022/naur/index.html