[contents]
Copyright © 2011 W3C® (MIT, ERCIM, Keio), All Rights Reserved. W3C liability, trademark and document use rules apply.
This document specifies goals and requirements for a website accessibility evaluation methodology for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.
This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. Other documents may supersede this document. A list of current W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be found in the W3C technical reports index at http://www.w3.org/TR/.
This 12 October 2011 Editors Draft of Website Accessibility Evaluation Methodology for WCAG 2.0 Requirements is an initial contribution to capture requirements for future work. This document is intended to be published and maintained as a W3C Working Group Note after review and refinement.
The WCAG 2.0 Evaluation Methodology Task Force (Eval TF) invites discussion and feedback about this document by developers, evaluators, researchers, and other practitioners who have interest in web accessibility evaluation. In particular, Eval TF is looking for feedback on how complete, precise, and achievable these requirements are.
Please send comments on this Website Accessibility Evaluation Methodology for WCAG 2.0 Requirements document to public-wai-evaltf@w3.org (publicly visible mailing list archive).
Publication as Editor Draft does not imply endorsement by the W3C Membership. This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this document as other than work in progress.
Evaluating the conformance of entire websites to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 requires a reliable strategy for selecting representative samples of web pages, as it is usually not possible to test every web page. It also requires effective application of WCAG 2.0 Techniques (in particular Failure Techniques) and aggregation of the individual evaluation findings into overall conformance claims. It also includes consideration for occasional (non-systematic) errors such as minor oversight failures that are frequently found on most websites.
This document specifies goals and requirements for a website accessibility evaluation methodology for WCAG 2.0 that defines methods for sampling web pages, provides guidance for applying WCAG 2.0 Techniques, and defines methods for aggregation and reporting evaluation findings. The Methodology addresses the need for an internationally harmonized standard for evaluating the accessibility of websites for accessibility.
The main goal is to define an internationally harmonized methodology for evaluating the conformance of websites to WCAG 2.0. This Methodology supports evaluation in different contexts, such as self-assessment and third-party evaluation of websites. It is applicable to all websites (including web applications) regardless of size and it is independent of any particular evaluation tools, browsers, and assistive technology.
The Methodology defines manual and computer assisted methods for selecting representative samples of web pages from websites that include complete processes. It provides guidance for evaluating the selected web pages to WCAG 2.0, and defines methods for integration and aggregation of the evaluation results into structured reports and conformance claims.
The Methodology provides guidance on evaluation throughout the development process but it is specifically designed for conformance evaluation of existing websites. It extends the existing WAI resource Conformance Evaluation of Websites for Accessibility. Complementary WAI resources such as Preliminary Review of Websites for Accessibility and Involving Users in Evaluating Web Accessibility provide further advice on evaluation during other stages of the development process.
The primary target audience of the Methodology is anyone, including individuals and organizations, wanting to evaluate the conformance of existing websites to WCAG 2.0. This includes but is not limited to:
Other target audiences of the Methodology include:
Users of the Methodology are assumed to be knowledgeable of WCAG 2.0, accessible web design, assistive technology, and of how people with different disabilities use the Web.
Important terms used throughout this document include: