Dear all,
If you have an opinion on how text customisation is - and should be -
supported as a component of web accessibility, then please read on!
The Text Customization for Readability Online Symposium will be held on
Monday 19 November 2012. This symposium will explore the needs of people
with low vision, dyslexia, and other conditions and situations that
impact reading. It focuses specifically on text customization
requirements and functionality, that is, providing users the ability to
change (or personalize) specific aspects of text display to improve
readability for their particular needs. For details, see:
<http://www.w3.org/WAI/RD/2012/text-customization/>
Additional short contributions are welcome (preferably by Monday 12
November) via e-mail to the publicly-archived mailing list:
<[log in to unmask]>
with subject starting: "[TC4R Symposium]"
Registration is available from:
<http://www.w3.org/WAI/RD/2012/text-customization/#participate>
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We have already received a number of full submissions, which have been
peer-reviewed, will form the basis of the symposium's discussions, and
are published in the Proceedings available on the Symposium page. We
recognize that some symposium participants may want to share information
more informally.
Therefore, *we invite short perspectives on text customization for
readability* as additional contributions. For example, you can provide:
* brief summary of what you learned from research you did in the past
* personal perspective on the issues you or someone you know faces
related to readability of text display
* pointers to related research or information on text customization for
readability
If you send your perspectives *by 12 November 2012* we can better
incorporate them into the plans for the Symposium event. If you send
them any time in November, they can still be considered for the
Symposium report as appropriate.
We are specifically looking for information to contribute to:
* Understanding text customization needs and requirements
- What aspects of text customization improve readability? How do they
help?
- Which aspects of text customization are necessary requirements for
people to be able to read effectively, and which are optional
suggestions to improve readability?
- What are the gaps in knowledge of users' needs for text customization?
* Integrating text customization functionality and requirements
- How well do existing text customization functionality and interfaces
support users' needs?
- What text customization functionality is provided in current products?
- How do users interact with text customization features? Which do they
use, which do they not use, and why?
- How effectively do user agents (web browsers, etc.) and web content
share the responsibility for text customization?
* Moving forward
- How might we increase awareness of the need for text customization,
and the benefits?
- What text customization functionality should be included in products
in order to meet users' needs?
- How can we improve discoverability and usability of text customization
features in products?
- How should text customization requirements be better addressed in
accessibility guidelines, web standards, and other best practice guides?
- What areas of research show promise to inform and evolve text
customization for readability?
Thank you for your contributions and we look forward to your
participation in the online symposium on 19 November.
Regards,
~Shawn Lawton Henry & David Sloan, Text Customization for Readability
Symposium
The University of Dundee is a Scottish Registered Charity, No. SC015096.
