W3CがWebアクセシビリティに関するオンラインシンポジウム “Easy-to-Read on the Web”を開催するそうです。
　
　「いろいろな分野の研究者がいろいろな角度やレイヤーでアクセシビリティについて研究を進め、いろいろなガイドラインやツールを作ってきたけど、みんなあつまって議論しようぜ！なっ！」という趣旨のようです。

・概要

　シンポジウムの概要は以下の通り。
名称:Easy-to-Read on the Web Online Symposium
主催: W3C/WAI Research and Development Working Group (RDWG)
時間:12/3 15:00-18:00(UTC) ※日本時間で12/4 00:00-03:00
参加無料。登録は11/28まで(もしくは申し込み上限に達するまで)。
参加方法: メールによる事前質問、電話会議、ライブキャプショニング（テキストによる実況？）、チャット
URL: http://www.w3.org/WAI/RD/2012/easy-to-read/
　参加者にはシンポジウムが開始される前が事前に報告書が配布されます。開始する前に読んでおけということです。君は限られた枠に入っているのだから、積極的に参加してねという雰囲気で「UST中継みよっかな」という気分で参加するとはポカーンとしてしまうかもしれません。
　日本からだとなかなか参加しづらい時間帯ではありますが、（そして、私はおそらく参加しませんが）個人的になかなかなツボなシンポジウムなので紹介してみました。
※2012/11/29追記
　上の締め切りは電話会議参加の締め切りのようで、ライブキャプショニング（テキストによる実況？）、チャットによる参加は登録不要とのことです。
　
すでに終了しましたが、以下のオンラインシンポジウムもおもしろそうでした。
・Text Customization for Readability Online Symposium 19 November 2012

・アジェンダ（2012/11/29追記）

　アジェンダは以下の通り（時刻はUTC）。
Time: 15:00-18:00 UTC (times in different locations).

1. Introduction to topic and symposium (15:00 – 15:10)
2. Easy-to-Read Guidelines and impact on WCAG 2.0 (15:10 – 15:35)
   1. What are the key aspects of Easy-to-Read that must / should / “would be nice to have” added to WCAG 2.0 – where to draw the line.
   2. How to value the chances to implement a) Plain Language and b) Easy-to-Read in everyday web design processes and at what level should they be integrated into WCAG 2.0?
   3. Transferability of Easy-to-Read guidelines, concepts and tools between different languages and cultural contexts?
3. Tools for Easy-to-Read (15.35 – 16.25)
   1. Based on research and experiences,
      • How to make WCAG 2.0 more concisely related to Easy-to-Read?
      • How to formulate guidelines which can be followed and implemented efficiently supported by tools?
   2. Are tools to support Easy-to-Read and Plain Language in practice sufficient in terms of a) covering areas and b) intended user groups?
   3. Do tools support transferability into other languages, cultural contexts and application scenarios (e.g. legal, medical, technical, … information)?
4. Workflow, Process and Services of Easy-to-Read (16.25 – 16.50)
   1. What sets of guidelines are applied predominantly on the web: Easy-to-Read, Plain Language or others?
   2. Is there a need for transfer in other languages and cultural contexts and to build up Easy-to-Read test corpora?
   3. Is there a defined workflow for Easy-to-Read, would it be useful and how should it be designed?
5. Short Break (16:50 – 17:00)
6. Next steps and conclusions – Further questions and answers to the panel with input from the symposium participants (17:00-18:00)

・事前配布される報告書（とそのアブストラクト）

　事前配布される報告書の一覧とそのアブストラクトが公開されています。

Easy-to-Read Guidelines and Impact on WCAG 2.0

• Easy-to-Read and Plain Language: Defining Criteria and Refining Rules
  • Kerstin Matausch, Competence network information technology to support the integration of people with disabilities (KI-I)
  • Annika Nietzio, Forschungsinstitut Technologie und Behinderung (FTB) der Evangelischen Stiftung Volmarstein
• Some Challenges for developing an Easy-to-Read Website
  • Sami Älli. FAIDD / Papunet Web Service Unit
• Guidelines or standards for Easy-to-read?
  • Leealaura Leskela, FAIDD / The Plain Language Centre

Tools for Easy-to-Read:

• Bridging the Gap between Pictographs and Natural Language
  • Vincent Vandeghinste. Centre for Computational Linguistics, University of Leuven
• Reporting Simply: A Lexical Simplification Strategy for Enhancing Text Accessibility
  • Biljana Drndareviç, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
  • Sanja Štajner, University of Wolverhampton
  • Horacio Saggion, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
• Improving the Readability of User-generated Content in Web Games Using Text Normalisation
  • Alejandro Mosquera, University of Alicante
  • Paloma Moreda, University of Alicante
• Easy-to-read text characteristics across genres
  • Katarina Mühlenbock. DART, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
  • Mats Lundälv. DART, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
  • Sandra Derbring. DART, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
• Calculating text complexity during the authoring phase
  • Antonio Bianchi, Politecnico di Milano – MultiChancePoliTeam
  • Licia Sbattella, Politecnico di Milano – Dip. di Elettronica e Informazione
  • Roberto Tedesco, Politecnico di Milano – MultiChancePoliTeam
• Evaluation of Terminology Labeling Impact over Readability
  • Vasile Topac, Politehnica University of Timisoara
  • Vasile Stoicu-Tivadar, Politehnica University of Timisoara
• MIA – My Internet Assistant for successfully reading and using web content
  • Thea van der Geest, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
  • Jana Becker, MSc University of Twente, The Netherlands

Workflow, Process and Services of Easy-to-Read:

• Accessibility 2.0 – Providing improved Access to text information for People with cognitive and intellectual disabilities by user generated content
  • Michael Schaten, TU Dortmund, Faculty of Rehabilitation Science, Chair for Rehabilitation Technology
• Including Easy to Read, Legibility and Readability into Web Engineering
  • Klaus Miesenberger, University of Linz
  • Kersting Matausch, Competence network information technology to support the integration of people with disabilities (KI-I)
  • Andrea Petz, University of Linz
• Social Networking Service for People with Cognitive or Speech and Language Impairments
  • Timo Övermark, The Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (FAIDD)
• Reading Adaptations for People with Cognitive Disabilities: Opportunities
  • Clayton Lewis, University of Colorado
  • Jeffery Hoehl, University of Colorado