Applies to: A viewer asks for captions, description, transcripts or an accessible interaction route.
The useful distinctions
- Health information is sensitive diagnostic material.
- Access needs can be stated in functional terms.
- The actual format and edition still require confirmation; a personal explanation does not establish availability.
Lead with the required function
A support enquiry can say that the viewer needs meaningful sound represented in text, essential visual action described or a control reachable without a pointer. Those statements identify practical requirements. A medical diagnosis usually adds no information about which programme edition or interface action is involved. The viewer can choose what personal context to share, but should not assume a detailed health history is necessary to ask a clear access question.
Keep another person’s information out
Household members can have different access preferences without those preferences becoming a public account of their health. Use neutral labels if several requirements need to be compared. Confirm the actual format for the intended edition rather than relying on a broad accessibility badge. A clear functional request makes the answer reviewable: support can confirm the format, explain a documented route or say what remains unavailable without evaluating the viewer’s personal history.
Hypothetical worked example
For invented edition AN-4, a household asks whether English captions convey meaningful sounds and whether a descriptive transcript is supplied. Their enquiry identifies the required information and programme, using Viewer A and Viewer B only if needed. It contains no diagnosis, clinical documents or another person’s health narrative. The response can address the two access requirements directly, while actual availability remains an edition-specific question requiring evidence.
A focused way to proceed
- Describe the information or task the viewer needs to access.
- Identify the programme edition or interaction context.
- Ask about the specific format or route without adding unrelated medical history.
When to stop or ask for help
Ask for the specific format or functional route and provide only personal information that a separately verified process genuinely needs.