Adapt: Symbols Module Explainer
Authors
W3C WAI-Adapt TF participants
FIXME: ACK Lisa et al
Participate
- Issues: https://github.com/w3c/adapt/issues
- Discussions: https://github.com/w3c/adapt/discussions
Introduction
TODO: Rewrite this section to really start with user needs.
This specification module enables authors to add semantic information about content at the element level, in order to facilitate a more familiar and comprehensible interface for the individual user who requires AAC symbols support. Final renderings — generated via helper apps or 3rd-party tools — are ultimately defined by the user's configuration settings.
TODO: Incorporate and trim the following (specifically parts about the challenge with multiple symbol sets) from the attribute spec...
The adapt-symbol attribute identifies the concept for symbols used in AAC devices, etc., for users who cannot process traditional written language. The symbols are an alternative vocabulary, and multiple symbol sets exist today. These various symbol sets are, unfortunately, not mutually comprehensible so the individual familiar with expression via symbol set alpha is unable to understand expressions using symbol set beta. This specification exists to provide a web-based technological mechanism to select appropriate symbols from the set an individual user knows by using the BCI concept index, the current de facto standard for cross referencing symbolic representations among symbol sets extant in the world today.
Goals
The goal of the attribute and values described in this specification is to enable personalized communication and web content interaction for the individual user. This specification includes facilities to:
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Transform the user interface (UI) through adaptation of content by injection of AAC symbols and thus ameliorate the negative impact of content lacking AAC on Augmentative and Alternative Communications (AAC) users;
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Provide extra support to the user by providing the communication modality they are best able to comprehend;
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Enable new adapted user agents for people with learning and cognitive disabilities.
Out of scope
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Providing translation—the concepts are specified by the author to match the language of the page's content; if the page content were to be translated, the concepts would need to be translated too.
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Providing renderings for any given concept (that is up to the UA).
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Providing an exhaustive list of concepts (the AAC symbols registry, described below, aims to do this).
User research
TODO: Add this section. Reference COGA work.
The adapt-symbol attribute
The intent of the adapt-symbol attribute is to link a concept (for which the UA will render an appropriate symbol for the user) to some text on the page.
Bliss Concept IDs as attribute values
TODO: Add this section
Here are some examples using the adapt-symbol attribute.
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Symbols for individual words.
<span adapt-symbol="13621">Cup</span> of <span adapt-symbol="17511">Tea</span>
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Symbols used with an image (
alttext represented as a symbol).<img src="cup.png" adapt-symbol="13621" alt="Cup"/>
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Symbols with conjugation. In this example a symbol is used for "her name" for the conjugated Hebrew word, שמה. The plus sign is used with no spaces to join the conjugated values, "her" (14707) and "name" (15691). If the gender is not important, you can just use the value for name (15691).
<img src="her-name.png" alt="ήÎ×Îö" adapt-symbol="15691+14707"/>
Bliss characters as attribute values
TODO: Add this section, from #240 (comment)
Unicode code points
TODO: Add this section
Hex representations of Unicode code points
TODO: Add this section
Forwards compatibility: multiple concepts per attribute value
Though it is not in the spec at the moment, we have considered how multiple concepts may be referenced within one attribute value.
As separate Bliss characters (or their representations) are space-separated, it is proposed that if multiple concepts were to be included in a single adapt-symbol attribute value, they would be comma-separated. For example:
<span adapt-symbol="0x4242, 8857, 0x4444 0x2222, 3856"
In this example, there are 4 concepts identified, via...
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hex representation of a single Bliss Unicode code point;
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Bliss Concept ID
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hex representation of a concept that is identified by two Bliss Unicode code points;
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another Bliss Concept ID.
The AAC Symbols Registry
The registry brings Blisssymbolics Communication International's registry of concepts into W3C space. Each record in the registry contains:
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A uniquely-identifying key.
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A description of the concept in a written language (e.g. English).
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The Bliss symbol(s) that embody this concept in the Bliss language.
NOTE: The nature of the key for the registry
The registry's key is presently the Bliss Concept ID. However we are in discussions with potential implementers on whether the corresponding Bliss Unicode code point(s) for a given concept could be used instead.
Key scenarios
TODO: Add this section
Anotating some text with a concept (symbol)
TODO: Add this section
Privacy considerations
TODO: Add this section—note the info that the site could glean.
Considered alternatives
TODO: Should this be where we put the alternative markup suggestions?
Stakeholder feedback / Opposition
Browser vendors
TODO: Add this section
Blissymbolics Communication International
TODO: Add this section
Symbol set creators and vendors
TODO: Add this section
References & acknowledgements
TODO: Add this section