Content Requirements of RT compatible SAS servers as of March 22, 2003

Gregg Vanderheiden 3/28/2003

Introduction

As part of the proposed approach, content must meet the current requirements for the SAS Servers.  These requirements will go down and become more flexible over time as the servers are able to handle more types of information and able to derive more information from the default presentation (rather than needing to have things marked up semantically or structurally).

The requirements are specific about what they can handle.   The test for compliance with these requirements is the submission of pages to the Reference Translating server and checking the output to see if it successfully created the accessible content specified.

Requirements by topic area

 NOTE:  Some requirements cross boundaries.  They are only listed once in the category they most apply to.  Where items are numbered –they must all be followed.   Where bulleted they are options.  If mixed – see text

Requirements for Perception

1)  Text

To enable/facilitate accurate recognition of text (by current SAS/RT)

1. Use one of the following approved technologies for electronic text
   • A
   • B
   • C
2. If text is not in a supported electronic text format (e.g is presented in image)
   • Do a
   • Do b
   • Do c
   • Or have associate text equivalent in one of the following supported formats
     • Unicode ALT text in HTML
     • CTAF* in GDF*  (Compressed Text Annotation Format* in Gregorian Document Format*)
     • Unicode text in PATAF* file.  (Parallel Associated Text Annotation Format*)

2)      Static Non-Text (Images etc.)

To enable/facilitate accurate recognition of non-text static content (by C-SAS/RT)

-      Provide associated text equivalent in one of the following supported formats

• Unicode ALT text in HTML
• CTAF in GDF*  (Compressed Text Annotation Format* in Gregorian Document Format*)
• Unicode text in PATAF*file.  (Parallel Associated Text Annotation Format* std)

3)      Multimedia

To enable/facilitate accurate recognition of non-text multimedia content (by C-SAS/RT)

-          Do ALL of the following  (2) items:

1. Provide captions of all significant speech and sounds of audio track in one of the following supported formats
   • Standard Quicktime Captions format for Quicktime movies
   • Standard xxxx captions format for AVI files.
   • SMIL
   • SAMI
   • TTF* (Timed Text Format*) for any of the following formats
     • Quicktime
     • AVI
     • VOB
   • BNFFBMMC*   (Brand new format from big multimedia company – that provided a decoder for use on all SAS servers*)
2. Provide Audio Description of the important video (etc..) in one of the following supported formats.

Requirements for Operation

4)      Event handlers

To enable recognition and conversion of event handlers to accessible types, use one of the supported types below.

{ note: perhaps we don't need to insist on keyboard event handlers if it is clear what to convert other event handers to.  For example if Mouse-in can always be converted to focus-in.   This looks like a dangerous assumption – but maybe not.   I'll take a crack at it below to start us thinking}

• Focus-in
• Focus-out
• Activate
• The following can be used under the conditions cited, but make the content inaccessible for direct users of the content. They are therefore not recommended – especially for new or revised content.
  • Mouse-in– if focus-in is not also used and activate while "focus-in" would activate the same as mouseclick.   {SAS will convert mouse-in to focus-in}. {hmmmm.  This looks shaky to say the least but I will leave here to see if it sparks any ideas.}

5)      Time Limits

To allow the SAS to have time to present pages and get responses from users, all artificial timing limits must be implemented in one of the following supported fashions.

-          {anything we can do here? Or does this just have to be handled as a base requirement in the content guidelines….  Have to think about this one}

NOTE: Real Time Limits (such as Auctions, etc.) cannot be affected by the SAS and are not covered here.

6)      Seizure Triggering

To allow the SAS to present content in a form that will minimize seizure triggering by freezing, delaying or dropping frames, the content must be in one of the following supported forms.

-          {hmmmm. What to go here.   Maybe something like

• form a
• form b
• form that support standard calls for halt, step, and skipframe

Requirements for Understanding

7)      Language Identification

To allow language of content to be identified and marked all of the following supported techniques must be used.

1. phrases that differ from the language of the majority of the surrounding text must be identified with their language if
   • the phrase is not in the RT server standard phrase registry
   • the phrase is shorter than 20 words or is not in its own {block?}  {Looking for thinks like "paragraph, quote, item etc )
2. one of the following supported methods for marking must be used
   • Unicode ALT text in HTML
   • CTAF in GDF*  (Compressed Text Annotation Format* in Gregorian Document Format*)
   • Unicode text in PATAF*file.  (Parallel Associated Text Annotation Format* std)

8)      Consistent Layout

To allow the content to be presented by SAS server in a consistent fashion to users who need it one of the following must be true.

-          The following elements of the content are presented in a consistent but not identical fashion or their locations are otherwise predictable.

• Headers
• Navigation bars or lists
• Submit keys

-          content elements such as menubars, etc are labeled, formatted or registered according to one of the following SAS supported formats

• elements are tagged with xxxxxxx
• or x amount of whitespace or lines are proved around all blocks of content
• standard elements like "submit" buttons are associated with the item the relate to in one of the following supported fashions
  • html – span
  • item is closer to its related element than is anything else       

9)      Consistent and Predictable Behavior

To allow the content to be presented by the SAS server in a fashion that yields consistent behavior to users who need it one of the following must be true

-          Behavior on the content page is consistent or predictable or the user is warned.  (i.e. the SAS server does not need to do anything)  Specifically

• A
• B
• C

-          Controls that are not consistent with convention have one of the following supported behavior or warning tags. 

• {list of standard behaviors for doing things that they choose to do in an unusual way for most users – but could be done in the usual fashion as well}
• {list of warning tags that can be attached to pop-up windows etc that are not easily detected by SAS servers.}
• The following are automatically detectable and do not need further markup
  • {things like standard techniques for pop-up windows }

10)  Error Detection and Prevention

In order to allow the SAS server to present choices to the users as well as do error checking or prompting when appropriate 

-          If a set of "valid" responses or response range is known, it must be provided in one of the supported forms below.  (Required for choices of 100 or less. Recommended for greater than 100 where practical.)

• HTML – {standard choice list formats}
• CTAF* in GDF*  (Compressed Text Annotation Format* in Gregorian Document Format*)
• Unicode text in PATAF* file.  (Parallel Associated Text Annotation Format* std)

11)  Abbreviations, Acronyms and Ambiguous, Unusual, or Invented Words

In order to allow the SAS servers to identify and translate abbreviations acronyms and ambiguous words

-   Definitions are provided if the proper definition or expansion is not the SAS provided default definition (based on the general and optionally declared cascading definition sets (SAS, Content Site or 3^rd party)

• Content can specify one or more of the SAS standard domains to be used for definitions and expansions or the content can specify a set of definitions and expansions on its own or any other permanent public site.  If multiple sets are used, definitions from the 1^st listed sets override definitions in other sets.
• Content can also specify a particular definition from a set of definitions for a word by specifying the definition number from an SAS set.