Add "closed functionality" to Key Terms

[maryjom]

The term "closed functionality" may not be commonly understood. During the WCAG2ICT TF meeting on 27 July the group came to a unanimous conclusion that this should be added as a key term with a readily understandable definition and some examples.

Sources to inform the definition

The text definition proposed from the survey was:

“Closed functionality" prevents users from attaching, installing, or using their own assistive technology. To support users with disabilities, products with closed functionality can instead provide built-in features that act as assistive technology.

Existing definition from the Revised 508 standards:

Characteristics that limit functionality or prevent a user from attaching or installing assistive technology.

Definition from EN 301 549:

functionality that is limited by characteristics that prevent a user from attaching, installing or using assistive technology

Sources of examples of closed functionality products

There are examples from 508:

Examples of ICT with closed functionality are self-service machines, information kiosks, set-top boxes, fax machines, calculators, and computers that are locked down so that users may not adjust settings due to a policy such as Desktop Core Configuration.

There are examples from the Canadian standard CSA B651.2 (22):

This Standard specifies minimum accessibility requirements for self-service interactive devices (such as, but not limited to, automated banking machines, retail self-checkout, self check­ in devices, ticket vending kiosks, smart card sales, query and reload devices).

[maryjom]

Used the sources listed in the issue description for the proposed definition and examples of 'closed functionality' that would be added to the Key Terms section.

Closed Functionality

The term closed functionality, as used in WCAG2ICT, has the meaning below:

closed functionality (as used in WCAG2ICT)
functionality that prevents users from attaching, installing, or using assistive technology

NOTE: To support users with disabilities, products with closed functionality can instead provide built-in features that function as assistive technology.

EXAMPLE: Examples of technology with closed functionality include: retail self-checkout machine, automated banking machine (a.k.a. Automated Teller Machine, or ATM), ticket kiosk, calculator, printer, smart TV, set-top box and a computer that is locked down so that users may not adjust settings due to a policy.

[maryjom]

Question: Is there any need to bring up the topic or describe "partially closed functionality" technology? I'm thinking that some technologies have some available fully functioning AT built-in, but the built-in AT does not cover all types of AT.

[loicmn]

As the survey did not allow me to write comments, let me explain here my view on "partially closed functionality".

A system that has closed functionality does not allow users to attach (i.e. connect physically or wirelessly), install or use assistive technology. And according to the first note such systems should offer accessibility built-in features.

If these built-in features are incomplete the system still has closed functionality and it is in fact not an accessible system. For instance, the Smart TV I've got at home has a "blind access mode" that reads aloud the menus to provide some accessibility for blind users, but it does not allow to change the fonts to make them bigger, leaving out persons with low vision. And it also does not have an option to remove animations, leaving out people with attention deficit.

To summarize my view, the fact that the built-in accessibility features are incomplete, make this TV not "fully accessible", but does not change the fact that it is a system with closed functionality.

[maryjom]

Thanks for noticing that @loicmn. Missed the checkbox to add an entry field to the questions. Those are now in place in the survey.

[maryjom]

This was added in PR #222. Next step will be AG WG review/approval.

[maryjom]

The AG WG is reviewing this as part of the overall Closed functionality review issue #370 which concludes on 28 May. Any further requested changes will be tracked in that issue or a new issue.