Summary of COGA TF feedback on Remote Meetings working draft Jumplinks: * Remote Meetings: Global concerns * Remote Meetings: Section-specific suggestions Internal COGA resource (not to be shared): * COGA TF review of APA Remote Meetings working draft Remote Meetings: Global concerns COGA TF feels strongly that there are significant gaps in the current draft. For example, we recommend adding new sections to the following Remote Meetings objectives: 3. Meeting Platform Selection and Development * [Add] 3.3.X Relevance of Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities * COGA TF recommends adding bullets that point to Content Usable sections. Examples: * Ensure processes like logging in and authentication do not rely on memory * Help users understand and use features such as meeting controls * Help users focus by reducing distractions * Provide help and support to do things like learning how to schedule a meeting and create breakout rooms * And many more, including avoiding time-outs 4. Creating Accessible Content for Remote Meetings * [Add] 4.1.X Relevance of Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities * COGA TF recommends adding bullets that point to Content Usable sections. Examples: * Use clear language and limit the text on each slide * Use consistent design to reduce the cognitive load on each slide * Reduce distractions and help users focus by doing things like prioritizing white space * Start decks with a summary/overview and end with a review of the most important points * And many more, like sending calendar invites with all the information in one place about logging in/authentication, agenda items, and documents that will be discussed during the meeting 5. Holding Accessible Remote Meetings * [Restructure and expand] 5.1 Hosting accessible remote meetings, which currently has one long list with 17 (unnumbered) bullets * COGA TF suggests splitting this list into smaller lists organized by topic, such as: * Before, During, and After the meeting, or * Audio Accessibility, Visual Accessibility, Cognitive Accessibility * COGA TF recommends adding several cognitive bullets to this 5.1 section. Examples: * Send agenda and other meeting materials at least a day in advance so that individuals who need extra time to prepare are able to do so * During the meeting, build in pauses or “think time” so people with different processing speed capabilities can fully participate. Be sure to check in with participants to see if they wish to participate in a topic, or before changing topics. * Use literal and concrete language and make implied reactions explicit, such as clarifying that an individual who smiled or nodded was agreeing or saying “yes” to a question * Explain at the beginning of meetings how to take turns in a conversation or use the raised-hand feature or 'Robert's rules' structure so that people with different processing speeds and memory needs have a way to jump in at the appropriate time on a given topic. * [Add] 5.3 Using breakout rooms * COGA TF recommends adding several bullets about breakout rooms to address the needs of people with social anxiety, startle responses, and other issues. Examples: * Let participants know before the meeting if breakout rooms will be used * Explain ahead of time what will happen in each breakout room * Let participants choose whether or not to join a breakout room * Provide the opportunity to control leaving a breakout room COGA TF may also need to do more research to answer questions on building a presentation, such as structure, pacing and interruptions. This is an initial review. Please reach out to the COGA TF co-facilitators, rainb@google.com and lisa.seeman@zoho.com, about a process for reviewing the next version. Remote Meetings: Section-specific suggestions 1.2 Types of remote meeting platforms * Last paragraph: Consider making the “hybrid meeting” definition its own section. This would help people who are skimming the document find this definition. Making the hybrid-meeting definition more prominent would also help meet the expectations set in the first sentence of the abstract, which emphasizes both “remote and hybrid meetings.” 3.1 Selecting an accessible remote meeting platform * 1st bullet: Consider adding a sentence about how to ensure AA conformance, such as: “Use the last paragraph of this section to learn how to access conformance reports for remote platforms.” * 4th and 5th bullets: Consider combining these consecutive ATAG bullets into one bullet or swapping the order of these bullets so that users encounter the full name and link for ATAG before they encounter the acronym on its own without explanation. * Last bullet: Add hyperlink to RAUR. 3.3.2 Relevance of the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines * At the beginning or end of this section: Consider adding a sentence about how alternative media such as real-time captions and transcriptions are helpful not just for users who are Deaf/hard of hearing, but also for users with cognitive disabilities who might still be using their eyes or ears, but need additional, not just alternative, media, to help process information and fully participate in the meeting. 3.3.4 Relevance of the Real-Time Communication Accessibility User Requirements * 2nd-to-last bullet: Change “screen reader users” to “screen reader and text-to-speech users” because individuals with cognitive and learning disabilities are more likely to use TTS than screen readers, and it is important to clarify that these features benefit individuals who may still be reading the words visually as well as users of screen readers. * New bullet: Consider adding the use case of people that use AAC devices. AAC users may benefit from the Real-Time Communication option, but may also need time in order to use this option effectively. Considerations should be added for both this use case and specific use needs. (COGA TF members Jennie Delisi and E.A. Draffan can help with drafting this as needed.) 4.1.1 Relevance of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines * Success Criterion 1.2.4: Captions (Live): Consider two rewordings and a new last sentence, as noted here in brackets: “It should be noted that the use of automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology to generate captions [change “will” to “may”] not yield sufficiently high quality without manual intervention to correct errors. [Remove: “Moreover,”] Such correction is difficult to perform effectively in real time. [Add: Ask participants with disabilities if manual captioning is needed.]” * New note at the end of the section: Consider adding a note (above the one about sign language) about how live transcripts can help people with cognitive disabilities fully participate in remote meetings. Transcripts support self-pacing by allowing participants to review the speaker comments as needed. 5.1 Hosting accessible remote meetings * 13th bullet: Consider more inclusive wording, as noted here in brackets: “[Change: “Remind all “ to “Encourage”] participants [Add: who have their cameras on] to [Remove: “, if possible,”] ensure that their faces, including their mouths, are visible and well-lit in the videoconferencing window. [Add: But remind participants it’s okay to turn off their cameras, if needed. Provide enough modalities so that members who lipread have more than one way to participate.]” 6. Holding accessible hybrid meetings * 3rd bullet: Consider expanding, as noted here in brackets: “Ensure that online participants and in-person participants can see and hear each other. [Add: For example, try to zoom in on in-person speakers so it’s easier for remote participants to see their faces and mouths. Likewise, ensure that in-person speakers use a microphone or that a question asked by someone without a microphone gets repeated by someone with a microphone.]”