Vocal Accessibility Part 4: Next steps for PAS 901:2025 and speech accessibility – get involved!

In part 3 of the blog series, I described some problems that I percieve with PAS 901:2025 Vocal accessibility in system design.

One of the main ones was the lack of open-access to the Code of practice, and how that is likely to reduce the awareness of, use and discussions around it. Given that I believe that it is an important standard, can we change this?

Another important consideration is what else is going on in this area, and can the PAS contribute to, and align with it? One answer to that is the development of the W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0, which is currently in draft form. Unlike previous versions of WCAG, which made no mention of speech, this one has a Guideline 2.4.4 on Speech and voice input, which starts,

Provide alternatives to speech input and facilitate speech control.

This is a big step in the right direction. Compared with other parts of WCAG 3, which contain more detail, this section doesn’t contain much. A linked issue in the W3C GitHub, Requirements: Voice Control #268 simply says “Research needed”. I believe there is scope to contribute to this area, and make a big difference.

Although anyone can get involved in the WCAG development-process, I think there is a better way – a Community Group.

A W3C Community Group?

The Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) is the main, international standards body for the Web. It contains many Working Groups that work on standards such as WCAG 3.0 (termed Guidelines in W3C parlance).

However, the formation of a Working Group relies on internal agreement, alignment with the W3C strategy and is a cumbersome process. On the other hand W3C Community Groups can be proposed by anyone who can put together some supporters/seconders. In the words of the W3C:

W3C Community and Business Groups give developers, designers, and anyone passionate about the Web a place to hold discussions and publish ideas. These groups are proposed and run by the community.

The scope of PAS 901:2025 extends beyond the Web, into telephony, automotives, AI and the Internet of Things. The proposal for a Community Group will make this clear.

Get involved!

So, who could get involved in a Vocal Accessibility Community Group?

Here are my broad suggestions:

• Contributors to PAS 901:2025
• People with lived experience (“Nothing about us, without us”)
• Organisations representing those with lived experience, for example, STAMMA in the UK
• Speech therapists/pathologists and their professional bodies
• Speech software and hardware vendors
• Speech scientists and developers
• Collaborators from different parts of the world

Summary

Here are the things that I am proposing:

• Propose and form a Community Group under the W3C.
• The Community Group should contain people with lived experience, speech therapists/pathologists, software vendors and others.
• Explore with the original authors, re-publishing PAS 901:2025 in the open, potentially as a Group Note.
• Collaborate to work on a new version of the PAS, again in the open.
• Research and contribute to speech guideline(s) in WCAG 3.0

I am keen to hear from any individuals and groups who would like to help make technology and the World better for those with all types of speech differences.

Contact me to get involved!