Request For Comments
>From the Open A11y Workgroup
Linux Foundation
June 5, 2008
The Open A11y Workgroup in the Linux Foundation works to develop free
and open standards supporting comprehensive access to information and
user interfaces for persons with disabilities. Our standards process
is open to interested members of industry, developer, and consumer
communities. Obtaining public comment on our proposed standards before
they are finalized is one of the most important steps in our process.
Public review helps ensure our standards are relevant and complete.
DETAILS:
We are now requesting comment on the following specification produced
by our IAccessible2 team. This specification is expected to become a
Linux Foundation standard this year.
IAccessible2
HTML - http://www.linux-foundation.org/~ptbrunet/ia2/docs/html/
IDL - http://www.linux-foundation.org/~ptbrunet/ia2/api/
Overview
IAccessible2 is a set of Windows accessibility interface definitions
which complements Microsoft's earlier work on MSAA. The IAccessible2
interfaces fill critical accessibility gaps in the MSAA offering.
IAccessible2 is an engineered accessibility interface allowing
application developers to leverage their investment in MSAA while also
providing an Assistive Technology (AT) access to content in rich document
applications and web browsers. The additional function includes support
for rich text, tables, spreadsheets, Web 2.0 applications, and other rich
content often found in large, complex applications.
IAccessible2 is implemented by application developers to allow Assistive
Technology, such as a screen reader used by someone who is blind, access to
an application's components, e.g. a table in a word processor. IAccessible2
has been implemented in applications such as IBM Lotus Symphony and Mozilla
Firefox 3. It has also been implemented in the leading Windows screen
readers,
e.g. JAWS from Freedom Scientific and Window-Eyes from GW Micro.
Developers of complex applications benefit because they can provide
accessibility to complex components well beyond what is possible with MSAA.
Application developers also benefit because screen readers already support
applications that implement IAccessible2. IAccessible2 was a joint effort
with
the leading AT vendors. These vendors saw the need for an enhancement to
MSAA and worked closely with IBM accessibility architects and engineers
during the definition and implementation of the API.
Users benefit because they have full access to complex applications such
spread sheets in IBM Lotus Symphony and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet
Applications) in Firefox 3.
It is also important to note that IAccessible2 has been harmonized with the
UNIX accessibility APIs to allow for efficient multi-platform development.
This was done through close collaboration with accessibility architects who
have intimate knowledge of the UNIX accessibility APIs.
For more information please visit the IAccessible2 web site at:
http://a11y.org/ia2
or equivalently
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/Accessibility/IAccessible2
HOW TO SEND FEEDBACK:
You may respond through Bugzilla using the URI below, or by sending email
to the special RFC address below. Bugzilla is our preferred method for
receiving feedback because it automatically logs your feedback in our
tracking system without additional human intervention. If possible, only
use the email method if you have difficulty using Bugzilla. When using
Bugzilla be sure to select IAccessible2 from the list of components.
Bugzilla - http://bugs.linux-foundation.org/
email - accessibility-rfc<at>a11y.org
REVIEW TIME PERIOD:
Please provide your comments on these draft specifications no later than
midnight, 24:00 UTC, Monday, June 30, 2008.
Please feel free to forward this announcement wherever you deem appropriate.
On behalf of Open A11y, and especially the IAccessible2 team, we thank
you for your assistance.
Pete Brunet, IAccessible2 Team Chair
brunet<at>us.ibm.com
Janina Sajka, Open A11y Chair
janina<at>a11y.Org
Gregory J. Rosmaita, Open A11y Vice-Chair
gregory<at>linux-foundation.org
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