WebMail Accessibility Interest Group

Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services (CITES) and Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES)

University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

Main Navigation Bar

Sand trail

All Teleconferences

Teleconference Details

Date: 2006-09-28

Time: 1:00 PM CDT

Agenda

Agenda:
1. Organizational notes; Specify a subscriber for the next teleconference?
2. Review and finalize task assignments
3. Improving framework to work more productively (Julio)
4. Working on Reading mail task


Teleconference info:
Date: Thursday September 28 2006
Date: 2:00 PM EDT; 1:00 PM CDT; 12:00 PM MDT; 11:00 AM PDT
Phone: 217 244-7532 

IRC Server and Channel Information
Server: irc.w3.org 
Port number: 6665 
Channel: #webmail 

WebMail Accessibility Home Page:
http://cita.uiuc.edu/collaborate/webmail/

WebMail Accessibility guidelines (draft):
http://cita.uiuc.edu/collaborate/webmail/docs/2006-09-14-notes.html

WebMail Tasks and Assignments

This is the list of tasks we have so far identified for a typical WebMail application. while some of the tasks are directly related to an e-mail program, other tasks are more complementary services offered to users by WebMail application providers.

1. Compose, Hadi Rangin/Jon gunderson, University of Illinois at Urbana/champaign
2. Viewing a folder, Hadi Rangin/Jon gunderson, University of Illinois at Urbana/champaign
3. Creating a folder, Julio Chavarria, Great Lakes ADA and IT Center
4. Reading an e-mail, Hadi Rangin, University of Illinois at Urbana/champaign
5. Adding/modifying an entry in Addressbook, Hadi Rangin, University of Illinois at Urbana/champaign
6. Using Addressbook
7. User preferences and options
8. Search, victor Staran, Yahoo
9. Calendar, Matt Anderson, MiraPoint
10. Instant Messaging, Ken Petric, Ohio State University
11. Audio conferencing?
12. video conferencing?
13. Ads?

I believe 2 and 3 can be combined to "Managing folder" and 5 and 6 to "Managing Address Book".

Minutes

Webmail AccessibilityTeleconference Notes - September 28, 2006


Participants:

Jon Gunderson
Hadi Rangin
Julio Chavarria
Mike Scott
Matt Anderson

Regrets:
Don Evans
Gale Stafford
Ken Petri
Victor Staran


Notes:

Currently identified email tasks were reviewed. Several tasks were merged. The new list includes:

(1) Compose Mail
(2) Viewing Folders & (3) Creating Folders were combined into: Managing Folders
(4) Reading Email
(5) Adding/Modifying Address Book Entries & (6) Using Address Book were combined into: Managing Address Book
(7) Preferences/Options
(8) Search
(9) Calendar, (10) Event & (12) Task/To-do List were combined into: Calendar & Task/To-do List

The remaining peripheral tasks -- (11) News, (13) Instant Messaging, (14) Audio Conferencing, (15) Video Conferencing, (16) Ads -- will be addressed in a later phase.

Discussed dividing (2/3) Managing Folders & (4) Reading Email into three tasks:
(2) Managing Folders (i.e., tree view)
(3) Viewing/Managing Mail Item List (i.e., list view)
(4) Reading Email

Discussed the potential of focusing more specifically on interface elements typically found in Web 2.0 webmail applications, e.g. tree view, list view, reading pane, editing area, tool bar, etc, focusing on (1) how to make those interface element types accessible, and (2) how to provide an accessible way to identify & move between the elements.

Agreed that we would need to do this without dictating design. 

Agreed that companies won't create special/multiple versions/elements

Noted that this approach would tie in well with W3C WAI's current work on "Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA)"

Discussed value of developing examples, concern that we don't want to be too prescriptive

Discussed option of in person working session in Champaign. (Details to be determined...)


Action Items:

Review W3C Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) Working Drafts:
    Roadmap for Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA Roadmap) http://www.w3.org/TR/2006/WD-aria-roadmap-20060921
    Roles for Accesible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA Roles) http://www.w3.org/TR/2006/WD-aria-role-20060921
    States and Properties Module for Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA States and Properties) http://www.w3.org/TR/2006/WD-aria-state-20060921

Jon & Hadi will work on mocking up folder view and/or other interface elements

Matt will look into making a demo version of Mirapoint's webmail available

Mike will send screen shots of Microsoft Outlook Web Access, Novell GroupWise WebAccess & AT&T Yahoo! Mail Beta

Julio will review/revise his draft

Matt will take notes for October 5 call

Edit teleconference

Discussion List

IRC Server and Channel Information

This will provide a means to share information during a teleconference and see the minutes in real time.