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WAI: Strategies, guidelines, resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities

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WAI-ACT Project (IST 287725)

Introduction

Web Accessibility Initiative - Cooperation Framework for Guidance on Advanced Technologies, Evaluation Methodologies, and Research Agenda Setting to Support eAccessibility (WAI-ACT)
European Commission Project, 7th Framework Programme, IST 287725

Page Contents

Announcements

Current Work

Eval TF - WCAG 2.0 Evaluation Methodology Task Force
RDWG - Research and Development Working Group
EOWG - Education and Outreach Working Group
ERT WG - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group
Staff Activity

Other project deliverables are currently in planning and will be announced here.

How To Participate

WAI-ACT work is developed through W3C/WAI Working Groups. Current work is listed under the Working Group or Task Force above. To directly contribute to developing WAI-ACT work, consider participating in the Working Group developing the work that you are interested in.

Anyone can review drafts. To get notifications of drafts for review, see Getting WAI Announcements for links to WAI tweets, RSS feed, and WAI IG emails.

For more information on contributing to the WAI-ACT Project and other WAI work, see Getting Involved with WAI and Participating in WAI. If you have any questions, contact Shadi Abou-Zahra (Scientific Coordinator).

Project Publications

Presentations

Resources

Several resources are currently under development; please see current work section for more information.

About WAI-ACT

WAI-ACT is a support action project, co-funded by the European Commission as a Specific Support Action under the IST 7th Framework Programme. The project started on 1 September 2011 for a duration of three years. It is lead by and builds upon the strengths of the existing World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) cooperation mechanisms, to facilitate strategic European and international participation throughout the project. WAI-ACT project partners are:

WAI-ACT work is developed in an open, non-exclusive collaborative environment to maximize participation and involvement from stakeholders. WAI-ACT also seeks active exchange with relevant networks in Europe such as eAccess+ different format, and coordination standardisation activities such as EC Mandate M/376 different format.

More specifically...

WAI-ACT, a Cooperation Framework for Guidance on Advanced Technologies, Evaluation Methodologies, and Research Agenda Setting to Support eAccessibility, addresses critical areas of advanced accessibility support through activities that build upon the strengths of past web accessibility work, harmonizes existing work, and helps shape a research agenda in coordination with key stakeholders in Europe and internationally.

The project addresses the need for expanded European and international cooperation on the development of accessibility solutions for people with disabilities; for consensus-based, authoritative technical guidance to accelerate implementation of advanced technologies; for internationally harmonised evaluation methodologies; and for a coordinated research agenda on eAccessibility.

WAI-ACT addresses these challenges through development of a framework for open, expanded cooperation among European and international stakeholders, technical guidance on advanced web technologies; an evaluation methodology for web accessibility; and a research agenda for eAccessibility. Technical guidance will include a repository of information on accessibility support in web technologies, application notes on authoring accessible web page components, and code samples for web applications. WAI-ACT will result in:

See project deliverables and contact Shadi Abou-Zahra (Scientific Coordinator) for more information.

Project Staff

WAI-ACT project staff include the following people: