Standards Development

Scope

The Scope clause is a mandatory element of the text.For rules on the drafting of the Scope, refer to the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2:2018, Clause 14.

1.1 STATEMENT OF SCOPE - MULTIPART STANDARD

This standard states the principles, rules and metadata elements for specifying language accessibility and Human Interface Equivalents (HIEs) in e-learning environments. It is structured to be able to support the requirements of applicable jurisdictional domains and in particular that of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Many jurisdictional domains have enacted legislation[14], regulations or policies that require equal access to education or information.

Like the ISO/IEC 24751-1“Framework” standard, this standard is intended to support and meet the needs of learners with disabilities in a disability context. While focused on e-learning environments, this standard, like ISO/IEC 24751, identifies and supports generic individual accessibility requirements.

The primary difference between the two “AccessForAll” ISO/IEC 24751 and ISO/IEC 20016 multipart standards is that the former focuses on the functional services view (FSV) perspective and the latter on the content operational support (COS) perspective of learners with disabilities including multilingual requirements, decision-taking and commitment-making. As such, these two sets of standards interwork to support generic individual accessibility requirements.

This multipart standard also supports individual needs and preferences related to language and culture (which are generic in nature and apply irrespective of individual accessibility requirements).ISO/IEC 20016-1 focuses on the fundamental, i.e., primitive requirements, and does so from four key perspectives; namely:

1)       the need to be able to support rights and needs of individuals especially those with disabilities to specify their needs and preferences from a “human language” perspective including equal access to recorded information especially in e-learning;

2)       support the requirement for individuals with disabilities - of their individual autonomy and independence, including the freedom to make their own choices. This includes being provided with unambiguous semantics of the recorded information at the level required for informed consent and the making of decisions which involve the making of a commitment(s).

3)       the need to be able to support external constraints of jurisdictional domains as they apply to official, (or “de factor”) or “legally recognized languages (LRL)”[15]; and,

4)       the need to take a systematic approach and focus on the fundamental, i.e., most primitive, requirements first.

1.2 SCOPE OF THIS PART OF ISO/IEC 20016 “FRAMEWORK AND REFERENCE MODEL FOR SEMANTIC INTEROPERABILITY” 

The scope of this Part of ISO/IEC 20016 is to provide a framework and reference model[16] in support of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and related public policy requirements and to do so in an ITLET focused context[17].

As such, ISO/IEC 20016-1 provides the key concepts and their definitions, as well as the overall approach to addressing semantic interoperability requirements.

The primary purpose of ISO/IEC 20016-1 is four-fold:

1)       serving as a framework and reference model for semantic interoperability in support of language accessibility requirements, doing so in a systematic and structured manner, in order to support and facilitate the incorporation of legal and regulatory requirements in ITLET applications. The common global legal/regulatory requirement here is that of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides a unifying and common basis for requirements of an external constraints nature for those UN jurisdictional domains which are signatories to this UN Convention[18].

2)       incorporating and integrating applicable aspects of existing international standards deemed very relevant to this multipart ISO/IEC 20016 standard; namely those which focus on:

a)       the making of decisions and commitments by an individual based on the individual being fully informed, i.e., in support of minimizing ambiguity in semantic interoperability

b)       semantic aspects from a linguistic and/or translation theory and practical perspective1)       to provide for a systematic approach to the development and presentation of Parts 2+ of this multipart ISO/IEC 20016; and,

2)       to provide an initial template for use by organizations and public administrations.

1.3 EXCLUSIONS

1.3.1 Physical aspects of individual accessibility

This multipart ISO/IEC 20016 standard focuses on individual accessibility from a content perspective. Therefore, the primary focus is that of semantic aspects of individuals with (or without) disabilities to be informed to be able at the appropriate level of semantic interoperability the content provided, i.e., decision-taking or commitment-making (= commitment exchange) independent of any physical aspects (including interface) support of a commitment exchange. Any other related physical aspect of a “user preference” nature, (e.g., ISO/IEC 24751) and/or user interface resource, i.e., JTC1/SC35 standard is “excluded” from the scope of this multipart standard.

Therefore, this multipart ISO/IEC 20016 standard, which focuses on content-related ICT aspects as well as specific ICT dependent functional services, does so in a manner which is neutral to “physical” aspects of supporting individual accessibility requirements of individuals in access and use of ICT dependent elements. The multipart ISO/IEC 24751 standard is directed at providing requirements for ICT to be able to provide support, at the functional services level.

1.3.2 Person: individuals, organizations, and public administrations

This Part of ISO/IEC 20016 does not define how to deal with types and roles of Persons and two of its three sub-types; namely, organization, public administration. (The third is “individual”). Other standards exist or are under development that address these and related issues.[19]

This standard focuses on individuals, their (legal) rights, their needs and preferences from an individualized accessibility perspective with respect to language accessibility and HIEs in support of availability of the content and independent of technical aspects of “inclusive design”, “universal design”, etc.

1.3.3 Artificial languages: Programming languages, Mark-up languages, etc

ISO/IEC 20016-1 includes clauses which focus on external constraints of jurisdictional domains which pertain to the use of a “natural language” or a “special language” for use in the provision of human interface equivalents in the semantics of the recorded information interchanged of organizations and public administrations with individuals.

With respect to the use of language(s) to provide Human Interface Equivalent semantics, the following are excluded from the scope of the ISO/IEC 20016-1; namely:

—     artificial languages;

—     programming languages;

—     hypertext languages;

—     indexing languages[20]; and,

—     mark-up languages[21].

However, mark-up languages such as SGML, XML, etc., may be used in Annexes as part of examples of HIEs.

1.3.4 Non-recorded information

This standard applies only to information or data which is recorded, i.e., recorded information, irrespective of the form, media, digital or non-digital, in electronic or non-electronic form, etc.

Information or data which is not recorded such as human conversations, i.e., communication of information among humans in any form of which no record is kept, is excluded from this standard. This is because non-recorded information cannot be processed and used in IT systems, (e.g., as HIEs).

1.3.5 Determining the individual's capability(ies) to communicate in a language(s)

The primary purpose of this standard is to provide methodologies, tools, etc., to facilitate the development and maintenance of Human Interface Equivalents (HIEs) of recorded information communicated to/among individuals with a focus on maximizing the unambiguity in the semantics being communicated especially where these support individual accessibility rights and the making of commitments.

It is outside the scope of this standard to evaluate or determine the capability or competency of an individual with respect to a particular natural or special language including any “accessibility language” of the set(s) of recorded information (SRIs) being communicated.

1.3.6 Universal design and related Functional Services View (FSV) aspects 

“Universal design” as defined by the UN Convention of the Rights of Disabled Persons focuses on the “mechanical aspects” of IT systems, akin to the “Functional Services View (FSV): of the ISO/IEC 14662 Open-edi reference Model. This multipart ISO/IEC 20016 standard focuses on the semantics, i.e., meaning, of the recorded information interchanged among two or more Persons (including individuals, or organization Persons, as part of an organization or public administration). As such, the development of this Part of ISO/IEC 20016 (and future Parts) of ISO/IEC 20016 assumes that requirements of a FSV nature are already covered in existing ISO/IEC, IEC and ITU standards or those under development[22]. Should any gap here of a FSV nature be identified, then this would serve as the basis for a new standards development project.

1.3.7 General aspects of culture and environment

General aspects of culture and environment are excluded from this multipart standard. The focus of this standard is language accessibility and human interface equivalents in a commitment exchange context. In addition, specific other “rights” identified in the UN Convention such as “privacy” are being addressed in ISO standards as well as in an ITLET context through the JTC1/SC36 ISO/IEC 29187 standard.

1.4 ASPECTS NOT CURRENTLY ADDRESSED IN THE 1ST EDITION 

Recommend that there be a single statement on aspects not currently addressed with the detailed information being moved into a new Annex Y?

1.4.1 Introduction - Focus and scope of 1st edition of ISO/IEC 20016-1 

This is a multipart ISO/IEC standard for which the focus of this 1st edition of ISO/IEC 20016-1 is directed at addressing the most essential, i.e., primitive, aspects only.

It is recognized that there are and will be:

1)       additional aspects to be addressed; and,

2)       that these issues once identified by ISO/IEC JTC1/SC36 will be addressed in one of four ways; namely:

a)       a “corrigenda” to this 1st edition;

b)       an “addendum: to this 1st edition;

c)       a 2nd edition from ISO/IEC 20016-1; and/or,

d)       a new Part of ISO/IEC 20016. (This is the most likely approach)

1.4.2 The creation of accessible HIEs 

This Part of ISOIEC 20016 does not yet (nor do the other parts of ISO/IEC 24751) describe how to create accessible content and associated HIEs. Rather, this standard provides tools and methodologies for facilitating language accessibility and developing Human Interface Equivalents for content. The aspect of creation and maintenance of accessible HIE in support of semantic interoperability may be addressed in a future edition of this standard and/or as a separate new part of this multipart standard, (e.g., as an IS or as a TR).

What this Framework document does is provide a template {see below} for use in support of a systematic approach for the identification of the level of unambiguity which an HIE should have depending on its purpose and sue in semantic collaboration space, doing so in support of the implementation of the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

1.4.3 Rules and procedures governing the four quadrants (each or combinations) of the Human Interface Equivalency Model (HIEM) 

Clause n below introduces the primitive aspect of the HIEM including its four quadrants “A”, “B”, “C” and “D”. Detailed rules and guidelines pertaining to each of these quadrants in support of HIEs and semantic interoperability remain to be developed.

A key challenge here is determining whether or not there exist HIE equivalents in another official language, a de factor language, or any LET language (LET-L), and if not to develop methodology and approach for addressing issues of this nature.

1.4.4 Creation of abbreviations and acronyms as HIEs

An abbreviation or an acronym is a very short character string that serves as an “aide-memoire” (or short-hand facilitating the identification of (1) a concept, and its definition for a HIE perspective; (2) in communication and interchange among parties exchanging semantics including those pertaining to a commitment exchange; and, (3) in the modelling of the identification and representation of concepts and/or in the use of formal description techniques[23].

1.4.5 Template for specifying semantic interoperability requirements 

The concept of and need for the use of a “template” for specifying semantic interoperability requirements are introduced in Clause 13 below as an essential methodology and tool in this Part of ISO/IEC 20016 Framework and Reference Model. The key constructs and approach to the use of a “HIE requirements template” are presented in an integral element of this Framework and Reference Model. The development of the more detailed operational aspects, i.e., management and implementation, has not been addressed in this 1st edition.

1.4.6 Localization aspects

The 1st edition of ISO/IEC 20016-1 introduces localization requirements (in Clause 8.7 below) as a key aspect of public policy requirements applicable to individual accessiblit7y requirements. Clause 7.7 introduces the most primitive aspects and associated requirements only.

There are many localization aspects which may require standards development work. These include those pertaining to whether the location of an individual users and/or LET provider, i.e., as specified via a physical address and/or electronic address. This may impact semantic interoperability requirements with respect to the provision of HIEs at the appropriate level of semantic unambiguity, i.e., as a SIEL.

1.4.7 Various aspects of HIE semantic collaboration space (SCS)

Clause 9.2 below focuses on the essential and most primitive aspects only of “semantic collaboration space”. It is a construct necessary to support the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Here two figures; namely:

a)  Figure 6 - (HIE) Semantic Collaboration Space (SCS); and

b)  Figure 8 - Two perspectives of semantic collaboration space (SCS);

require further standards development from an implementation and use perspective. This is to be addressed in the next edition of ISO/IEC 20016-1 or in Parts 2+ of this multipart standard.

1.4.8 Role of an “AfA agent”24

It is a very common occurrence in an individual accessibility requirements context that either the individual, and/or the organization or public administration with which the individual is communicating involves the services of someone to server as an “AfA agent” to: (1) provide a usable understandable HIE of the semantics of the content being provided; (2) assist the individual with his/her participation in a semantic collaboration space; and, (3) assist the individual to communicate in a semantic collaboration space. Further, it is very important to differentiate between (1) an “AfA agent", i.e., someone who acts on behalf of the individual as an “interlocutor”; and, (2) IT agents such as automatons, bobots, etc, which perform or execute FSV functions on behalf of a real Person.

1.4.9 Privacy protection, consumer protection, human rights, etc. 

It is recognized that “individual accessibility” is but one of several public policy requirements of a global nature which are:

1)  recognized and supported by UN conventions, treaties, etc., as well as in specific laws and regulations of UN member states (as well as their administrative sub-divisions); and,

2)  international ISO, IEC, and/or ITU-T standards.

Two examples here are:

1)  “consumer protection” for which COPOLCO "Committee on Consumer Policy” of ISO coordinates and harmonizes standards development; and,

2)  “privacy protection” in support of which many ISO, ISO/IEC, and ITU-T committees have already developed international standards.[25]

As such, “consumer protection”, “privacy protection”, and related public policy requirements which are not of an “individual accessibility” nature, i.e., HIE content availability nature are excluded, from the scope of ISO/IEC 20016. However, at the same time, it is necessary to position “individual accessibility” in the context of the overall set of common public policy requirements. This has been done below in Clause 7 below titled “Public policy requirements of jurisdictional domains”.

ISO/IEC 20016-1 is a “Framework and Reference Model”. As such, it does not address specific technical aspects with respect to its implementation and use. This is the purpose and focus of Parts 2+. Nevertheless, this 1st edition of ISO/IEC 20016-1 includes Annex L (informative) “Implementation considerations for the ISO/IEC 20016-1 Framework and Reference Model”.

In addition, the 1st edition of this part of ISO/IEC 24751 does not currently support the following:

1)  rules and methods for establishing equivalencies within a natural language, i.e., synonyms or quasi-synonyms; and,

2)  registration and re-use of HIEs.

1.5 IT-SYSTEMS ENVIRONMENT NEUTRALITY

This standard does not assume nor endorse specific ICT systems environment, database management system, database design paradigm, systems development methodology, data definition language, commend languages, mark-up language, system interface, syntax (including syntax-based languages), programming language, computing platform, Formal Description Technique (FDT) methodology or FDT tools, or any ICT required for its implementation, i.e., it is IT-neutral. Yet at the same time, this standard maximizes an (1) IT-enabled approach to its implementation; (2) maximizes semantic interoperability; and, (3) facilitates the same in a sustainable manner, (e.g., cost-efficient, logic-based, explicitly stated, documented, etc.).