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https://w3c.github.io/wcag/21/guidelines/
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Extra symbols #50

Closed lseeman closed 7 years ago

lseeman commented 7 years ago

Current versions of SC and Definitions

Extra Symbols

            <h2><strong>SC Text</strong></h2>
            <p>A mechanism is available such that controls that are used to reach, or are part of, a critical service, and each instruction that contains important information that directly relates to a critical service, is preceded by a symbol or picture, which relates to the topic of the control or instruction.</p>
                        <h2>Suggestion for Priority Level</h2>
            <p>AA</p>

Note

It is a bit controversial to say that people with Aphasia, etc. are not in an intended audience. However, when we remove the intended audience clause this seems to become a AAA conformance criterion, which is more problematic. We are open to other alternatives.

Related Glossary additions or changes

Important information: information the user may need to complete any action or task including an offline task, or related to safety, risks, privacy, health or opportunities

            <h2>

What Principle and Guideline the SC falls within.

Principle 3, 3.1 Make text content readable and understandable.

            <h2>

Description

Symbols are added at the beginning of short sentences and phrases to aid understanding. However, as some people have difficulty remembering symbols, use text with the symbol.

<ul>
    <li>Use clear symbols that can easily be seen and expanded</li>
    <li>Use images understood by different users</li>
    <li>In left-to-right languages, place the image to the left of the text</li>
</ul>

We are also drafting semantics that will add symbols that are easy to use by the individual user.

See widget and easy read for some good examples.

<p>Examples of content and features where the intended audience includes people who may require the use of symbols, use augmentative/alternative communication systems, have expressive and receptive written language difficulties or have intellectual disabilities, include:</p>
<ul>
    <li>All important tasks in critical services such as making a doctor's appointment</li>
    <li>Navigation to important tasks in critical services, such as making a doctor's appointment</li>
    <li>Paying for utility bills, such as paying a water bill</li>
    <li>Critical government information sites</li>
    <li>Any content that is intended for a wide audience.</li>
</ul> 

It should be noted that to conform to the principle of personalization (SC 6), symbols and graphics must be:

<ul>
    <li>Interoperable so that when possible, symbols can be replaced by symbols that are familiar to the user.</li>
    <li>Default setting should allow for the number of symbols shown to be reduced, such as only showing symbols by headings, controls and links. This reduces the clutter for non-symbol users.</li>
</ul>

If these conditions are not explicit in the personalization requirement, it should be added to this success criteria.

            <p>Note that graphics should be clear and make it easy to identify what is going on. This topic and why the use of symbols must support personalization and interoperability is discussed at <a href="https://rawgit.com/w3c/coga/master/issue-papers/symbols-non-verbal.html">Symbols for Non-Verbal</a>. </p>
            <h2><strong>Benefits</strong></h2>
<p>The benefit of this Success Criterion to people who find reading or language difficult cannot be underestimated.  This population may include people who have developmental delays or acquired or progressive brain damage. For example, a person with severe aphasia, where they have the intellectual ability to understand concepts, but cannot express those concepts, read text or write the word needed in a search field, is dependent on the use of symbols to browse pages for information.</p>
<p>The user needs are more fully described in the issue paper <a href="https://rawgit.com/w3c/coga/master/issue-papers/symbols-non-verbal.html">Symbols for Non-Verbal</a> and <a href="https://rawgit.com/w3c/coga/master/gap-analysis/table.html">User needs Table. </a></p>

Related Resources (optional)

<p> Resources are for information purposes only, no endorsement implied. </p>
<ul>
    <li><a href="https://rawgit.com/w3c/coga/master/gap-analysis/table.html">User needs Tables, Table 4: Help and Support and Table 7: Clear and Understandable Content and Text</a> </li>
    <li>COGA <a href="https://w3c.github.io/wcag/coga/user-research.html">background  research document</a></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.accessibleinfo.co.uk/pdfs/Making-Myself-Clear.pdf">Making Myself Clear</a></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.widgit.com/about-symbols/how-symbols-are-used/index.htm">How Symbols Are Used</a></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/further-information/dyslexia-style-guide.html">Dyslexia Style Guide</a></li>
    <li>Garrett, K. L., Beukelman, D. R., &amp; Low-Morrow, D. (1989). A comprehensive augmentative communication system for an adult with Broca's Aphasia. Augmentative &amp; Alternative Communication, 5(1), 55.</li>
    <li><a href="http://specialedpost.org/2013/01/31/top-five-instructional-strategies-for-students-with-down-syndrome/">Top Five Instructional Tips for Students with Down syndrome</a></li>
</ul>

Testability

<p>This Success Criterion can be tested manually by inspection.</p>

Techniques

<ul>
    <li> Adding icons and graphics. </li>
    <li>Using COGA semantics for interoperable icons and concepts</li>
    <li>Using semantics to add symbols to sections that help the user identify key content including:</li>
              <ul>
                <li> types of contact information</li>
                <li> types of help</li>
                <li> types of functions</li>
                <li> warnings</li>
                <li> key points</li>
                <li> errors</li>
                <li> system messages</li>
                <li> notes</li>
                <li> definitions</li>
                <li> more information</li>
                <li> tables of content and site maps</li>
                <li> file types</li>
                <li> search</li>
                <li> required information</li>
                <li> errors</li>
                <li> opinions</li>
                <li> essential information</li>
                <li> types of transactions and types of reminders</li>
                <li> instructions and status of an element</li>
                <li> invalid fields</li>
                <li> non-native</li>
                <li> content and sponsored content are clearly marked and visually differentiated by standardized techniques</li>
              </ul>
            </ul>
joshueoconnor commented 7 years ago

Assigned to EA @eadraffan https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/wiki/SC_Managers_Phase1

eadraffan commented 7 years ago

As the success criteria manager for SC 50 I am concerned that there is a note that states "It is a bit controversial to say that people with Aphasia, etc. are not in an intended audience. However, when we remove the intended audience clause this seems to become a AAA conformance criterion, which is more problematic. We are open to other alternatives." Could someone please help me see how we can get round this issue so we can remove the note?

I know that the use of symbols to clarify text for those with cognitive impairments (in particular those who have poor literacy skills) can be very important and so is gaining AA Priority level dependent on the inclusion of certain disabilities or the types of key content that should have symbols and is testable?

Please forgive me if this sounds an odd question. Many thanks.

lseeman commented 7 years ago

Let us remove the note and take out "Any content that is intended for a wide audience. " from the description and change it to "critical information about rights and freedoms" and change the SC to

Extra Symbols: Provide symbols or pictures at the beginning of short sentences and phrases to aid understanding for critical content and services.

critical content and services are content and services needed to prevent significant harm, risk or loss such as: significant financial loss, illness, injury or deterioration in a patient's condition or effective loss of rights or freedoms.

we also want to add a AAA Extra Symbols: Provide symbols or pictures at the beginning of short sentences and phrases

lseeman commented 7 years ago

Hang on a sec. if the tooling is available (eg the IBM demo) for this to be automatic and personable why not just have
Extra Symbols: A mechanism is available to provide symbols or pictures at the beginning of short sentences and phrases level AA

lseeman commented 7 years ago

Also the sematics are in https://w3c.github.io/personalization-semantics/ that are widely availible without using ibm tools

eadraffan commented 7 years ago

Lisa thank you so much for your time today and these ideas. This is important as it could help so many people who perhaps we have not even thought about in SC50 but… We have a dilemma!

We have the suggestion of symbols for critical information and services as Level AA with the addition of symbols to signpost important information and headings to aid navigation as a triple AAA

OR the ability to adapt content so symbols can appear by request as a AA level.

Best wishes E.A. Sent from my mobile phone

On 17 Jan 2017, at 13:51, Lisa Seeman notifications@github.com wrote:

Also the sematics are in https://w3c.github.io/personalization-semantics/ that are widely availible without using ibm tools

― You are receiving this because you were assigned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or mute the thread.

lseeman commented 7 years ago

compromise:

Extra Symbols: Provide symbols or pictures at the beginning or above critical short sentences and phrases to aid understanding for important information and for critical content and services.

critical content and services are content and services needed to prevent significant harm, risk or loss such as: significant financial loss, illness, injury or deterioration in a patient's condition or effective loss of rights or freedoms.

important information is already defined

critical short sentences and phrases: These are text links and controls and key terms where each paragraph would have one key term that highlight the topic

joshueoconnor commented 7 years ago

@eadraffan Can I have a status update on this please?

eadraffan commented 7 years ago

Lisa and I are the only ones who have commented so I feel this SC has not yet reached a wider audience and I mentioned this on the WCAG list a couple of days ago.

DavidMacDonald commented 7 years ago

I've been asked to comment on this. Here's a punch list on what I see challenging.

Extra Symbols: Each sentence that has [these characteristics] is preceded by a symbol or picture, which relates to the topic of the phrase.

OR

Each distinct instruction that contains important information related to critical services is preceded by a symbol or picture, which relates to the topic of the instruction.

Critical services: related to healthy or safety or financial loss over $X.

eadraffan commented 7 years ago

I really like the last one David as a fix and thank you so much for the clarity. I will await Lisa's comment as to how to move this forward.

eadraffan commented 7 years ago

Thank you so much David and I have put a comment in Github as you added another suggestion which I preferred namely “ Each distinct instruction that contains important information related to critical services is preceded by a symbol or picture, which relates to the topic of the instruction.”

Best wishes

E.A.

From: David MacDonald [mailto:notifications@github.com] Sent: 06 February 2017 21:10 To: w3c/wcag21 wcag21@noreply.github.com Cc: eadraffan ea@emptech.info; Mention mention@noreply.github.com Subject: Re: [w3c/wcag21] Extra symbols (#50)

I've been asked to comment on this so here it is:

Here's a punch list on what I see challenging.

The best fix I could offer is something like:

Extra Symbols: Each short sentence that has [these characteristics] is preceded by a symbol or picture, which relates to the topic of the phrase.

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/w3c/wcag21/issues/50#issuecomment-277814266 , or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAtX3LrxVqYJeP274lQ1GTjb7kYxxJBYks5rZ4wlgaJpZM4K9JKt . https://github.com/notifications/beacon/AAtX3MQnfKDiRENncb2s2hjUGiOnBBibks5rZ4wlgaJpZM4K9JKt.gif

lseeman commented 7 years ago

@DavidMacDonald I am trying to add the links /controls into you wording. Extra Symbols: A mechanism is available such that controls that are used to reach, or are part of, a critical service, and each instruction that contains important information that directly relates to a critical service, is preceded by a symbol or picture, which relates to the topic of the control or instruction.

This allows you to conform via an api pr personlization and includes controls and links

critical services and important information already are defined

eadraffan commented 7 years ago

Lisa I really like your new wording @DavidMacDonald Please does anyone have a problem with this? It will be submitted for a pull request if we do not have an comments by the end of the day.

lseeman commented 7 years ago

this is now a pull request Extra Symbols (issue 50) #115

jspellman commented 7 years ago

I like #50 and I think we can get it in with some minor changes. "A mechanism is available" doesn't apply here, because the symbols are something that the author has to add, or the author has to add semantic markup that an assistive technology can pick up on. Otherwise the user agent or some other "mechanism is available" wouldn't know what symbol to use. I like parts of the original (except it is too broad); your comments were spot-on; I like one of Lisa's revisions (narrowing the scope to critical comments) and I like David's proposal. Let's see if we can put them all together. I changed the sentence structure around to active voice. I used "precede" because we have to think about different reading language orientations (like right-to-left and the 4 modern languages that are bottom-to-top)

Extra Symbols: Precede critical content and critical controls with either:

Definition of "critical content; critical controls": related to health, safety, privacy, or financial loss. (I don't think we can say a $ amount, as that doesn't translate across cultures. )

I think the Technique provides some good information, but it would be very helpful to provide examples of the coga- markup and links to list of sources for pictorial symbols. I found a few in a quick Google search, but you probably have links to the best ones in your research.

DavidMacDonald commented 7 years ago

@jspellman For a WCAG SC, we can't tell the author to do something. We have to state it as a condition that can be answered true/false. If we want it in the active voice it would have to be something like.

A <glossary-link> topical pictorial symbol</glossary-link> or <glossary-link>programmatically determinable semantic markup </glossary-link> precedes critical contents or controls.

jspellman commented 7 years ago

@DavidMacDonald thanks for the info on WCAG editorial standard for verb tense. I am used to active tense for SCs, but will adapt to WCAG verb tense. I like David's latest proposal.

awkawk commented 7 years ago

Updated the issue description to reflect the FPWD text and reopening issue.

alastc commented 7 years ago

Can I +1 David's update? It was after the pull request but I think it would be a good update for next time.

eadraffan commented 7 years ago

Just to make sure your other commented is noted Alastair and we do not lose all the ideas since the pull request, I have added the link about using the word 'support' to precede the SC as suggested in github https://github.com/w3c/wcag21/issues/159#issuecomment-285020097.

Possible addition to the option below:

Support Extra Symbols: A mechanism is available such that controls that are used to reach, or are part of, a critical service, and each instruction that contains important information that directly relates to a critical service, is preceded by a symbol or picture, which relates to the topic of the control or instruction.

alastc commented 7 years ago

I put the 'support' aspect to the whole WG on the list, I think it is a good idea but wanted to see if that was a suitable word.

If it were taken on, and including David's update with my own spin, I think that would make it:

Support extra symbols: Critical contents or controls include a related pictorial symbol preceding the text or equivalent metadata.

That removes the 'mechanism available' because it states the mechanisms and has the 'support' prefix. Does it loose anything?

The 'reach' aspect isn't clear to me, but I think that could be clarified in the definition of critical controls / content.

eadraffan commented 7 years ago

I am trying to workout what the final wording should be for this SC before this is committed. Is this now correct?

Support extra symbols: A topical pictorial symbol or programmatically determinable semantic markup precedes critical content or controls.

lseeman commented 7 years ago

Maybe change it to: "Support extra symbols: A topical pictorial symbol precedes critical content or controls unless it's function can be programmatically determined." I think this is more robust - as it is the function of the control that needs to be machien understandable

dboudreau commented 7 years ago

I also prefer this new version - it makes a lot more sense to me now. I kept reading the first version, and I could not wrap my head around it. "Topical pictorial symbol" would definitely need its own definition though.

DavidMacDonald commented 7 years ago

The word "content" in WCAG refers to anything on the page, including controls. I added back in the original intent of a "critical service" which is a very specific thing. "Critical content" could be very wide.

"Support extra symbols: A topical pictorial symbol or programmatically determinable semantic markup precedes content used to reach, or is part of, a critical service ."

Critical services: Related to healthy or safety.

We'll have to see if the "programmatically determinable semantic markup" is mature by FPWD, otherwise drop it?