Re: Request for comment on IAccessible2

Jamal Mazrui <empower@xxxxxxxxx> · Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:58:11 -0400 (EDT)

Aaron Leventhal, a member of the ProgrammingBlind list, can probably
answer these questions better than me.

My best guess is that IAccessible2 is not oriented toward accessibility of
.NET-based applications.  Microsoft developed User Interface Automation
(UIA) as the successor to MSAA for making rich .NET and Windows
Presentation Foundation (WPF) apps accessible.  The .NET Framework 3.0 and
above has built-in classes for MSAA and UIA, and these are likely to be
the best ways of increasing the accessibility of such applications.
IAccessible2 is a cross-platform alternative to UIA.

With that said, I encourage you to communicate your concerns to the
IAccessible2 developers, either by responding to the Request for Comment
or by joining the mailing list to which one can subscribe at
https://lists.linux-foundation.org/mailman/listinfo/accessibility-ia2

Jamal

 On
Sat, 14
Jun 2008, Manish Agrawal wrote:

> Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:37:58 -0400
> From: Manish Agrawal <manish10@xxxxxxxxx>
> Reply-To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Cc: program-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Request for comment on IAccessible2
>
> Hey Jamal,
> After reading through the overview and some of the specifications, I have a
> few questions that will help me understand this better. I don't know if this
> is the right forum to ask these on, so, feel free to forward this to anyone:
>
> 1. The entire specification is for use by Com servers and clients. However,
> most new application development work on the Microsoft platform is being
> done in .Net. How does this specification help to make those .Net
> applications accessible?
> 2. If .Net/Com interop is the anser, how does this spec address the
> significant performance overhead of that interop?
> 3. Are there .Net wrappers to the com API already being created that .Net
> applications can use without having to implement the com interop themself?
> 4. Is there a .Net widget/control library that is also being published by
> the tool vendors supporting this initiative that I can use as a .Net
> application developer to get out of the box accessibility with my UI
> elements - as is the case with the UI widgets that ship with Microsoft
> Visual Studio?
> 5. If I am developing custom controls/ UI widgets in .Net, are there any
> sample apps/ prebuilt controls that I can subclass to help make my custom
> control accessible?
>
> If I am completely off the mark with the above questions, please pardon my
> ignorance and point me to somewhere that I can read more and understand how
> this works better.
>
>
> On 6/10/08, Jamal Mazrui <empower@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > 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://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/Accessibility/IAccessible2
> > or equivalently
> > http://a11y.org/ia2
> >
> > 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
> >
> > __________
> > View the list's information and change your settings at
> > //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Regards,
> Manish
> http://iaccessible.blogspot.com
>
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