Introduction

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AG WG)

Currently developing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1

Presenters:

• Judy Brewer, W3C, WAI Director
• Michael Cooper, W3C, AG WG staff contact
• Andrew Kirkpatrick, Adobe, AG WG co-chair

WCAG 2.1

First Public Working Draft published this week, 28 February 2017

w3.org/TR/WCAG21

• Jim Allan, Low Vision Accessibility Task Force co-facilitator
• Michael Cooper, AG WG W3C Staff Contact
• Andrew Kirkpatrick, AG WG co-chair and Low Vision Accessibility Task Force co-facilitator
• Joshue O Connor, AG WG co-chair
• Kim Patch, Mobile Accessibility Task Force co-facilitator
• Lisa Seeman-Kestenbaum, Cognitive Accessibility Task Force facilitator
• Kathy Wahlbin, Mobile Accessibility Task Force co-facilitator

From WCAG 2.0 to WCAG 2.1

• WCAG 2.0 finalized December 2008
• Designed to be technology-agnostic and therefore future-proofed
• Major focus of international web accessibility guideline harmonization
• Stability of the guidance important for many years

Emergence of new needs

Over the years:

• Certain technologies have become more important
• Technology features now exist to support some user needs
• Appropriate guidance for users is now better understood

Therefore need for guidelines that build on WCAG 2.0

Initially WCAG 2.0 extensions were proposed

Focus shifted to a dot-release to harmonize conformance model

Development of Success Criteria

Task Forces developed proposals for:

• Users with cognitive or learning disabilities: w3.org/WAI/PF/cognitive-a11y-tf
• Users with low vision: w3.org/WAI/GL/low-vision-a11y-tf
• Small- and touch-screen mobile devices: w3.org/WAI/GL/mobile-a11y-tf

Approx. 60 proposals submitted last December

AG WG vetting proposals.

Success Criteria requirements: w3.org/WAI/GL/wiki/WCAG_2.1_Success_Criteria

Understanding this first draft

New Success Criteria

• 3 new SC – achieved WG consensus on readiness for external review
• 25 proposals for new SC – require additional review but the WG feels that there is benefit in additional external feedback on the proposals

These Success Criteria:

• Show a cross-section of the areas of work
• Indicate the types of user needs we intend WCAG 2.1 to address
• May need additional work to be applicable to universal normative guidelines

Public comments on these proposals will help shape and prioritize efforts

Next steps on WCAG 2.1

In 2017 AG WG will continue processing SC, including ones not included in the FPWD

Publish additional public Working Drafts as well as support materials (Understanding, Techniques)

Wrap up main work by end of this year and proceed to ratification stages

Timeline: w3.org/WAI/GL/project

Work also happening on 3.0 guidelines, and work could happen on WCAG 2.2 if needed

Guidelines development process

• Importance of participation from all stakeholder groups
• Staying up to date with drafts
• Iterative process to a set of criteria

Ways to contribute

• File issues in GitHub: github.com/w3c/wcag21/issues/new
• Send email: public-agwg-comments@w3.org
• Participate in the Working Group: w3.org/WAI/GL/participation
• Participate in a task force: w3.org/WAI/GL/task-forces

W3C at CSUN

This presentation: w3.org/2017/Talks/0303_WCAG21_MC, or w3.org/Talks

Related sessions:

• What comes after WCAG 2.1? Thursday, March 2, 4:20 PM, Cortez Hill AB - 3rd Floor Seaport Tower
• Q&A: Accessibility Guidelines, the Next Generation Friday, March 3, 3:20 PM, Seaport Ballroom G - 2nd Floor Seaport Tower
• Mobile Accessibility: Is mobile really different than desktop? Thursday, March 2, 3:20 PM, Golden Hill AB - 3rd Floor Seaport Tower
• Low Vision Task Force - Proposed Success Criteria for WCAG 2.1 Thursday, March 2, 1:20 PM, Seaport Ballroom F - 2nd Floor Seaport Tower
• Building WCAG 2.1 Success Criteria for People with Cognitive Disabilities Thursday, March 2, 11:00 AM, Golden Hill AB - 3rd Floor Seaport Tower