Proposal for separated Guideline 1.1 and 1.2

Full scratchpad of notes available at

• Issues and proposals for Guideline 1.2 - "media-equiv"
• Summary of issues for Guideline 1.2
• 2 September proposal for Guideline 1.2

Guideline 1.1 Provide text alternatives for non-text content

Level 1

1. For all non-text content that is functional, such as graphical links or buttons, text alternatives identify the purpose or function of the non-text content.
   
2. For all non-text content that is used to convey information, text alternatives convey the same information.
   Note: for multimedia, this means transcripts are provided.
   
3. For non-text content that is intended to create a specific sensory experience, such as music or visual art, text alternatives identify and describe the non-text content.
4. For multimedia and time-dependent interactive content, text alternatives identify the content and media alternatives are provided as described in guideline 1.2.
   
5. Non-text content that does not provide information, functionality, sensory experience and is neither multimedia nor time-dependent interactive content, is marked such that it can be ignored by assistive technology.
   
6. Any text alternatives provided are explicitly associated with non-text content.
7. For live audio-only or live video-only content, such as internet radio or webcams, text alternatives describe the purpose of the presentation or alternative real-time content is linked to, such as traffic reports for a traffic webcam
   Note: real-time content does not imply real-time captions.
   Ednote: This is similar to #1 above, yet it seems we need to specifically address audio-only and video-only content to avoid confusion.

Level 2

Level 3

1. For multimedia content, a combined transcript of audio descriptions and captions is provided.

Examples

Example 1: an image used as a button.

A magnifying glass icon is used to link to the search page of a Web site. A screen reader identifies the button as a link and speaks the text alternative, "Search."

Example 2: a data chart.

A bar chart compares how many widgets were sold in June, July, and August. The short label says, "Figure one - Sales in June, July and August." The longer description identifies the type of chart, provides a high-level summary of the data comparable to that available from the chart, and provides the data in a table.

Example 3: a recording of a speech.

The link to an audio clip says, "Chairman's speech to the assembly." A link to a text transcript is provided immediately after the link to the audio clip.

Example 4: a recording of a symphony.

The link to an audio file says, "Beethoven's 5th Symphony performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra."

Example 5: an animation that illustrates how a car engine works.

An animation shows how a car engine works. There is no audio and the animation is part of a tutorial that describes how an engine works. All that is needed is a description of the image. From "How car engines work: Internal combustion" [Use this instead of Example 3?]

Ednote: Examples to be developed: a live radio stream and a live webcam.

Guideline 1.2 Provide synchronized alternatives for multimedia

Level 1

1. Captions are provided for prerecorded multimedia.
2. Audio descriptions are provided for prerecorded multimedia.
3. If multimedia content is rebroadcast from another medium, the accessibility features required by policy for that medium are intact.

Ednote: Even though there are instances where captions and audio descriptions are not required, this version of Guideline 1.2 does not attempt to address the variations. Instead, it assumes more detail is included in the techniques documents and that policy makers will clarify when captions and audio descriptions are required.

Level 2

1. Real-time captions are provided for live multimedia.

Level 3

1. Sign language is provided for multimedia
2. Extended audio descriptions are provided for prerecorded multimedia.
3. Audio descriptions are provided for live multimedia [?? John Slatin's Sextet performance is the only example of this that I've seen - a very unique case.]

Examples

Example 1: a movie with audio description

Transcript of audio from the first few minutes of, "Teaching Evolution Case Studies, Bonnie Chen" (copyright WGBH and Clear Blue Sky Productions, Inc.)

Describer: A title, "Teaching Evolution Case Studies. Bonnie Chen." Now, a teacher shows photographs.

Bonnie Chen: These are all shot at either the Everglades...for today you just happen to be a species of wading bird that has a beak like this."

Describer: wooden tongue depressors

[will non-Americans know "wooden tongue depressors?"]

Example 2: a captioned tutorial

A video clip shows how to tie a knot. The captions read, "(music)

USING ROPE TO TIE KNOTS

WAS AN IMPORTANT SKILL

FOR THE LIKES OF SAILORS, SOLDIERS, AND WOODSMEN."

From Sample Transcript Formatting by Whit Anderson

Ednote: Examples to be developed: an animation with soundtrack of music with lyrics, an interactive slideshow, an animation with musical soundtrack.

Definitions (to include in glossary)

(didn't finish these)

video-only: Need to clarify that it is not a Web page (to address issue 792)

audio description - Additional audio narration that explains important details that cannot be understood from the main soundtrack alone. During pauses in dialog, audio description provide information about actions, characters, scene changes and on-screen text to people who are blind or visually impaired.

extended audio descriptions...

captions - A synchronized transcript of dialogue and important sound effects. Captions provide access to multimedia for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

multimedia - contains both audio and video

non-text content - @@

transcript - @@

Notes from discussion with John (not to be included in the draft)

1. Audio descriptions are provided for prerecorded multimedia [unless it is not possible to synchronize a transcript or description suffice??]
   1. the clip is shorter than the description
   2. if in order to provide descriptions, need to freeze, that's level 2 or 3, otherwise
   3. describe before hand, "too much session later on, describe now, 'pre-description'" example from 13 days [if crucial to understand]
   4. description all the characters are lego, "in legoland, an ambulance races through the streets"
   5. "this land" parody - couldn't do audio description w/out stepping on soundtrack. text description - costumes and settings change rapidly to reflect what's going on in the lyrics (in ironic relation)
   6. 1916 photo blind woman begger black/white - art photography. portrait. eyes are mishapen, etc. style of rembrandt but not someone he would have painted. "photographic portrait that poses similar to rembrandt" "occupies the full screenn..." assumptions that reader knows rembrandt. but give enough info so that someone who doesn't know could get idea
   7. description used during text displayed on screen. not during dialog

success criterion: ad provided for prerecorded multimedia.

live audio-only or video-only - just a text description (no need for )

live audio-only - feed for president's message - transcript available afterward. if recording of audio-only web cast posted on site - prerecorded. if one-time real-time event doesn't matter.

live program streamed live - level 1 description of event?, pres candidate debate=if covered by some legislation, follow that legislation or policy

live program stored and streamed later - audio-only = transcript, multimedia = captions, AD (if necessary), video-only

pre-recorded program streamed as first broadcast -

pre-recorded program stored and streamed later

[How address talking heads? e.g., the US presedential debates. Which would they fall under?]