[Accessibility] Accessibility meeting 9/22/04

[John Goldthwaite]

Accessibility meeting 9/22/04

Doug Beattie
Harald Fernengel
Sandy Gabrelli
John Goldthwaite
Bill Haneman
Earl Johnson
Peter Korn
George Kraft
Janina Sajka
Gunnar Schmidt
Sharon Snider
Matthew Wilcox
Allen Wilson

Minutes:  for 9/15/2004 approved;
Intro before Harald- one of the extensive discussions was about CORBA vs.
DBUS
Bill- not enough
Harald- comments don’t seem that negative.  The ----not standardize corba
but standardize the interface.  Then it becomes an implementation detail
Bill- in order to have a validatible standard we need the features in CORBA
Before you were in the group I made some proposals about what s – validate
against CORBA but could also validate against other standards
Janina – need to capture the comments in the email traffic this week.  Its
important to capture the issues that were discussed so that it is
documented.
Peter- if we take as a pragmatic approach ratifying on the calls and methods
separate from CORBA, that may be a forcing function for DBUS.  Bill you’ve
said that DBUS doesn’t have all the calls that are required.  If DBUS doesn’
t have those, it ..

Bill- that’s already the case

Peter – if we agree on what the calls are and their parameters then when we
get to DBUS or CORBA it becomes clear that these are the calls that the
transport method must support.
Bill- in the context of FSG we need to have a standard that’s validatible.
If we are saying that the interfaces are normative.. implementation
Peter- with this method it puts the burden on DBUS, it must support
Bill- I don’t think that is the relationship we have the DBUS.
For it to be an FSG it has to be able to be tested.  It maybe practical to
agree on the interface and then work on the implementations.  This may give
Harald the time to work on DBUS.
Janina- 
 recording
Peter- I see issues around saying the we have to go with CORBA, we can go 
.
Bill- I don’t think our standardization process is going to influence DBUS
implementation

Doug- we need to have 2 versions, we are documented what is current
practise

Bill-  
 we’d need to have more than one implementation of DBUS.  What is
the motivation for a ABI compatible DBUS that is not the one on in the
freedesktop
Harald-
Bill- to satisify the requirements of multiple ABI
Allen?? - during the earlier discussions of CORBA wasn’t there something on
the exposure of  
 , at least a C binding
Bill- if you look at the IDL there is no CORBA, it can be done with a ..
Gunnar-  I can’t find that when searching the archive of the minutes.
Perhaps there was some discussion before I was a member of the group.

Bill- when we started we looked at scope and existing technology.  We agreed
that we’d adopt AT-SPI if practical.  
Then we learned what the FSG
standardization process means.  We learned from Doug and others what was
required of a specification. Some of the comments -    When the discussion
gets lively, its almost impossible to get take the minutes.  So the minutes
are missing much of the non-trivial stuff.
Janina- yes we looked at what the concerns.  That’s how it ended up on the
year 1 agenda.
Bill-  I think if anyone it’s the people reviewing the minutes to catch
those details.  Ideally, Harald, Gunnar and I could review the notes and
fill in the blanks.  But we’re busy.
Janina-Perhaps we should table it for another week.
Bill- I should have looked at our road map.  Some of this written
documentation on the proposal should include these details e.g. AT-SPI
Gunnar- in roadmap or proposal to the free standards group?
Janina- we left the roadmap fairly loose so we could get the charter and get
to work.  We need to get back to the roadmap and get broad consensus in
January.  We considered the roadmap a work in progress.   We’ll table the
9/1 minutes for another week and ask Bill, Harald and myself to work on what
it should say.

Janina- we are still finishing up the paperwork with NSF.  We need the funds
transfer form signed.  Bill or Harald anything to say about the Mozilla

Haralk- we’ll release a new Qt4 with new key bindings shortly.
Peter- can you give a date
Harald- I hope its before the next call.  We will also use accessibility as
one of the main components of the new release.
Peter- I’ve need to update the diagram to show how Qt fits into the
architecture.
Janina- it would be good to have it at IDEAS

Peter- SUN put forward a proposal for key bindings for Mozilla. These should
be usable my any browser that is accessible.  We’ve been getting a lot of
feedback.  We will review these and work them into in a second draft.  Also,
we’ve been asked to note in the second draft what has been implemented and
what tasks are in process.  Start with the consensus especially the things
that are critically needed for example keystroke to move from header to
header 
. Keystroke to move character by character is critical.   Harald it
would be good to get your comments about what has been done in Conquerer.
Janina- we need to have a check in with our subgroups.  Is there discuss on
the

Bill- we need to hold a meeting of the AT-SPI group.  We 

Janina-  we’ll give you a little push from behind.  These was good
substantive exchanges this week.  Will you set that up, Bill.
Bill- who is needed for the group-
Janina – there are about 10 people that are in the AT-SPI list.  (Asked Doug
for check)
Doug – Bill Haneman, cabrero,  David Bolter (Univ. Toronto, George, Gunnar,
Harald, , Janina, Michael Zemian,  Samuel Thebold (ENF-Lyon)
Bill-  Gunnar you are UTC + 2?
Gunnar- yes
Bill – we have a seven hour spread if we don’t have anyone from California.
That suggests an evening or afternoon time in the US.
Janina- Is David in London?
Bill- lets organize it on the email.

Janina- back to the conference.  Thanks to Peter, Harald, others, I’ve got
the attendees from the 3 conferences.
Peter – can you send the others to me?
Janina- Yes.  Sandy is back in Hawaii and has found a support group that we
may use.
Sandy- it is a group that converts old systems into Linux and gives them to
schools.  They have an active program with the schools to teach people how
to use and administer Linux.  They sound like they would like to help us
with the teleconference.  Honolulu Community College is the site for Linux
certifications so some of their students may work with us.  I tracked down a
travel agent who specializes in travel for people with disabilities.  They
have info on accessible hotel rooms.  I’m debating whether we wanted to get
a big block in one hotel or to have several hotels so that we have a range
of prices.  3star vs 5 star..
Janina- some of the 3 stars aren’t too bad.
Sandy- Let’s think about that and discuss next week.
Doug- the last time I was in Hawaii, I got a hotel without air conditioning
and that is a shock.  Had to change hotels a couple of times.

Peter – status of the proposal?
Janina- we haven’t been formally told we have the grant.  I wouldn’t put
money on tickets.
Janina- we need to get in touch with the NSF staff.  Our program officer
Ephraim Glinert is out of the office until Sept. 30
Peter – do we have his cell phone or home number?
Sandy- we can get in touch with him,
Janina- anything else on the meeting?   We need to work on invitations next
week.  Its almost the
Sandy- if people if ideas about the teleconferencing please email me and I’
ll work on putting that together for next week i.e. I’m looking for input on
the teleconferencing.

Bill – do want an update from the keyboard group?  We did have a meeting and
worked on a range of values

Janina-  Action items:
Clean up 9/1 minutes
Look at list of conference attendees
Think about hotel options for Honolulu
Teleconference ideas for Sandy
Bill will work on a conference for AT-SPI

Same phone number next week.

John Goldthwaite
Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access, Georgia Tech
john.goldthwaite at catea.org