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Added inperson or RTC to meeting discussion in complexity section.
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JaninaSajka committed Jan 3, 2025
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Expand Up @@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ <h3>Defining User needs</h3>
<h3>Collaboration tools and accessibility</h3>
<p>By following established guidance, notably that of <cite>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)</cite> [[wcag22]], designers of collaboration tools can help ensure that their user interfaces are <em>perceivable</em> to and <em>operable</em> by a wide range of users with disabilities. Following the Guidelines also enables user interfaces to be more <em>understandable</em>, and to be <em>robust</em> in their support for a range of user agents and assistive technologies. In addition, broadly applicable guidance on improving accessibility for people with cognitive and learning disabilities has been published in [[coga-usable]]. However, implementing current guidelines and suggested practices is not sufficient by itself to ensure that the user interface of a collaboration tool can be understood and used efficiently by people with disabilities. Thus, conforming to WCAG may well be insufficient for collaborative environments. For example WCAG does not inform automated interface simplification &mdash; a general web accessibility requirement being considered in APA&apos;s <a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/APA/task-forces/adapt/">WAI-Adapt Task Force</a>.</p>
<p>The collaboration features of these tools are necessarily complex. This can impose significant cognitive demands on many users, not only users with specialized accessibility requirements. This is especially true for users of screen readers, screen magnification and color contrast assistive technologies, as well as for persons living with various cognitive and learning disabilities. For this reason, the unique cognitive demands established by collaborative content creation applications can impose barriers to access which are addressable, in part, by making appropriate software design and implementation choices. Additional control of cognitive demands can be achieved by using the application and any assistive technologies appropriately in a collaborative setting, and by ensuring that the social context in which the collaboration occurs supports participation by contributors with disabilities (see section <a href="#social"></a>).</p>
<p>Many users cannot track updates on multiple locations simultaneously, rather, they must view and comprehend the interactive elements of the application&apos;s features sequentially, for example in speech or braille for screen reader users. A screen reader or magnifier used in a collaborative application may well present suggested changes and comments in one section of the screen while the user is reading a document in a word processor. The user may also be expected to be communicating verbally with fellow collaborators (e.g., in a meeting) while undertaking editing tasks or comparing multiple revisions of content. Moreover, in applications supporting real-time collaborative editing, incoming changes made by other contributors may alter the content that the user is reading or editing in real time. These cognitive demands can be exaserbated when one is working with an unfamiliar user interface such as a rarely used RTC client(See our RTC Accessibility User Requirements [[RAUR]] publication).</p>
<p>Many users cannot track updates on multiple locations simultaneously, rather, they must view and comprehend the interactive elements of the application&apos;s features sequentially, for example in speech or braille for screen reader users. A screen reader or magnifier used in a collaborative application may well present suggested changes and comments in one section of the screen while the user is reading a document in a word processor. The user may also be expected to be communicating verbally with fellow collaborators (e.g., in an in-person or RTC meeting) while undertaking editing tasks or comparing multiple revisions of content. Moreover, in applications supporting real-time collaborative editing, incoming changes made by other contributors may alter the content that the user is reading or editing in real time. These cognitive demands can be exaserbated when one is working with an unfamiliar user interface such as a rarely used RTC client(See our RTC Accessibility User Requirements [[RAUR]] publication).</p>
<p>Due to the cognitive demands created by collaboration tools in the practical and social contexts in which they are used, strategies for improving accessibility are desirable that extend beyond current W3C guidance.
Thus when we talk about collaborative tools we must consider accessibility burdens imposed by their
concomitant complexity. In truth, collaborative tools are necessarily complex interfaces for all users, and not only persons with various disabilities. The salient point here is that a failure to design to accomodate persons with disabilities appropriately will inevitably prevent their participation in collaborative work. What constitutes challenging complexity for most users will inevitably become an insurmountable barrier for some persons with disabilities.</p>
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ <h2>General Guidance on Implementing Accessibility Features of Collaborative Env
<li><strong>User Need 19:</strong> Users with learning or cognitive disabilities or who use assistive technologies need to learn and use collaboration tools efficiently.
</li>
<li><strong>REQ 19A:</strong> In implementing collaboration features, follow established user interface conventions and design patterns. For example, use conventional terminology, labels, or icons for functionality that may be familiar to users.</li>
<li><strong>REQ 19B:</strong> Support the accessibility-related features of the user&apos;s operating system, user agent, and assistive technology. For example, some assistive technologies, such as screen readers, have features designed specifically for reading comments and suggested changes in textual content, which should be supported instead of defining application-specific functionality or keyboard commands that achieve the same purpose.</li>
<li><strong>REQ 19B:</strong> Support the accessibility-related features of the user&apos;s operating system, user agent, and assistive technology. For example, some assistive technologies, such as screen readers, have features designed specifically for reading comments and suggested changes in textual content, which should be supported instead of defining application-specific functionality or keyboard commands that accomplish the same purpose.</li>
<li><strong>REQ 19C:</strong>Make collaborative features available via an <abbr title="application programming interface">API</abbr> to allow interoperability with tools with which the user may already be familiar, and which may better satisfy a person&apos;s specific accessibility-related needs. For example, a revision control system could interoperate via an <abbr>API</abbr> with a user&apos;s chosen text editor or integrated development environment.</li>
</ul>
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