Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group Charter
The mission of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working
Group (WCAG WG), part of the WAI
Technical Activity, is to support the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
2.0 W3C Recommendation, which aims to make Web content accessible for people
with disabilities.
This mission is complementary to the work of other Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) groups
within the WAI Technical
Activity and the WAI
International Program Office Activity. The WCAG WG is part of the WAI
Technical Activity.
End date |
30 June 2013 |
Confidentiality |
Proceedings are Public. Some communications between editors may be
member-confidential. |
Initial Chairs |
Loretta Guarino Reid, Gregg Vanderheiden |
Initial Team Contacts
(FTE %: 50) |
Michael Cooper |
Usual Meeting Schedule |
Teleconferences: Weekly
Face-to-face: 1-2 per year |
Scope
The WCAG WG's scope of work includes:
- Maintaining errata for WCAG 2.0;
- Maintaining Understanding WCAG 2.0 for editorial issues and additional
clarifications;
- Publishing an updated WCAG 2.x edition, if needed for correction only,
and not for a major change;
- Expanding techniques for implementing the WCAG 2.0 in W3C and non-W3C
technologies;
- Developing support materials that explain the application of WCAG 2.0 to
particular situations, e.g., cognitive accessibility, accessibility
support;
- Responding to public comments on WCAG 2.0.
- Creating alternate format versions of WCAG 2.0 to meet particular
needs;
- Supporting the public in submitting support materials and techniques;
- Coordinating work on documentation of accessibility support;
- Coordinating with other Working Groups to support public awareness of
WCAG 2.0 and how to use it;
- Coordinating with other Working Groups to address new accessibility
issues from an authoring perspective;
- Coordinating with other entities adopting and using WCAG 2.0;
- Collaborating with the ERT WG to expand the set of test samples for WCAG
2.0 techniques;
- Contributing requirements input into combined, modularized WAI 3.0
guidelines.
Consistent with W3C
Process requirements on Task Forces, the WCAG WG may form task
forces composed of WCAG WG participants or join other W3C task forces
to carry out assignments when under the chartered scope of WCAG WG. Any such
task force must have a work statement (including objectives, communication,
participation, and leadership) that has been announced on the WCAG WG mailing
list, approved by the WCAG WG, and is available from the WCAG WG home page.
WCAG WG task forces should produce requirements documents that outline the
scope and expectations for work. Task forces may set up separate
teleconferences and hold face-to-face meetings per the W3C process and with the
approval of the WCAG WG.
Success Criteria
- Publication of Understanding WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.0 Techniques as updated
Working Group Notes;
- Improved information available about understanding and implementation of
WCAG 2.0;
- Increased reflection of WCAG 2.0 in other specifications;
- Clearer vision for future accessibility authoring guideline
requirements.
Out of Scope
- Although the WG may publish updated editions of WCAG 2.0 to incorporate
corrections, it is out of scope for the WG to publish a major revision of
WCAG 2.0.
- Being required to be the central repository for accessibility support
data.
- Conformance evaluations and reviews.
Deliverables
The following deliverables would be published as W3C Technical Reports:
- Understanding WCAG
2.0, to be published as a W3C Working Group Note. Understanding WCAG
2.0 explains the intent of each SC and links to known sufficient
techniques, both general and technology-specific.
- Techniques for WCAG 2.0,
to be published as a W3C Working Group Note. A package of documents to be
published as W3C Working Group Notes. The WCAG WG will produce these
documents to demonstrate applicability of WCAG 2.0 to a variety of
technologies. The WCAG WG does not expect them to be a comprehensive list
of all techniques and anticipates these documents will evolve over time.
Techniques will include HTML, CSS, SMIL and other W3C technologies as well
as general techniques that apply across technologies.
Other Deliverables
- Errata for WCAG 2.0;
- How to Meet WCAG 2.0 (Quick
Reference);
- Policy and procedures regarding sufficient techniques from third
parties;
- Meeting minutes.
The WCAG Working Group may also address the following.
- Application Notes about particular areas of application of WCAG 2.0, as
needed;
- Alternate versions of WCAG 2.0.
Milestones
The Working Group plans to publish updated Working Group Notes of Understanding WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.0 Techniques one or more times per year.
Timeline View Summary
- 2010
- Updated Working Draft for Understanding WCAG 2.0 document(s).
- Updated Working Draft for Techniques documents, including tests.
- Update Understanding WCAG 2.0 / Quick Reference.
- 2011
- Same as above; priorities for 2011 will be set as needs emerge.
Dependencies
W3C Groups
- Authoring Tool Accessibility
Guidelines Working Group
- Ensure that WCAG 2.0 reflects correct interpretation and integration
with ATAG 1.0 and ATAG 2.0, coordinate on development of test files and
test procedures.
- User Agent Accessibility Guidelines
Working Group
- Ensure that WCAG 2.0 reflects correct interpretation and integration
with UAAG 1.0 and UAAG 2.0, coordinate on development of tests.
- Protocols and Formats Working
Group
- Provide input into other W3C groups on accessibility requirements and
to review WCAG 2.0 Techniques.
- Evaluation and Repair Tools Working
Group
- Interpret and coordinate development of techniques for developers of
testing methodologies and tools, coordinate on development of test files
and test procedures.
- Education and Outreach Working
Group
- Coordinate on making WCAG 2.0 usable by a wider audience, on developing
strategies and materials to increase awareness and to educate Web
community about WCAG 2.0, ensure WCAG 2.0 uses terms from WAI Glossary
properly, Historically, the EOWG has created business case information,
evaluation processes, curriculum, quick tips and other resources to
clarify the work of the WCAG WG.
- WAI Interest Group
- Send deliverables for review.
- WAI Coordination Group
- Address questions on dependencies.
- Internationalization
Activity
- Ensure that references to internationalization techniques are correct,
and to ensure that language can be translated successfully.
- Mobile Web Initiative
- Explore relationship between Mobile Web best practices and WCAG 2.0,
and applicability of WCAG 2.0 to content displayed on mobile devices.
External Groups
- U.S. Access Board
- European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
- European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
- European Commission
- RERC for the
Advancement of Cognitive Technologies
- RERC on Universal Interface and Information Technology Access
Participation
To be successful, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group is
expected to have 10 or more active participants. Effective participation to Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group is expected to consume 4 hours
per week most weeks for each participant. Editors may contribute more time.
Participants are reminded of the Good
Standing requirements of the W3C Process.
Communication
This group conducts its work on the publicly archived mailing list
w3c-wai-gl@w3.org (archive). The
Working Group relies heavily on Web-Based Surveys to collect
opinions prior to meetings, and makes official decisions at weekly
teleconferences. As inputs to Working Group deliberations these materials are
often visible only to members of the Working Group. Chairs and editors may
conduct planning discussions in private.
Information about the group (deliverables, participants, face-to-face
meetings, teleconferences, etc.) is available from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working
Group home page.
Decision Policy
As explained in the Process Document (section 3.3),
this group will seek to make decisions when there is consensus. When the Chair
puts a question and observes dissent, after due consideration of different
opinions, the Chair should record a decision (possibly after a formal vote) and
any objections, and move on.
When deciding a substantive technical issue, the Chair may put a question
before the group. The Chair must only do so during a group
meeting, and at least two-thirds of participants in Good
Standing must be in attendance. When the Chair conducts a formal vote to reach
a decision on a substantive technical issue, eligible voters may vote on a
proposal one of three ways: for a proposal, against a proposal, or abstain. For
the proposal to pass there must be more votes for the proposal than against. In
case of a tie, the Chair will decide the outcome of the proposal.
This charter is written in accordance with Section 3.4, Votes
of the W3C Process Document and includes no voting procedures beyond what the
Process Document requires. The Chair decides whether a quorum is present for
any Working Group meeting.
Patent Policy
This Working Group operates under the W3C Patent Policy
(5 February 2004 Version). To promote the widest adoption of Web standards, W3C
seeks to issue Recommendations that can be implemented, according to this
policy, on a Royalty-Free basis.
For more information about disclosure obligations for this group, please see
the W3C Patent Policy
Implementation.
About this Charter
This charter for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group has
been created according to section 6.2 of the Process Document. In the event of a conflict between this
document or the provisions of any charter and the W3C Process, the W3C Process
shall take precedence.
Please also see the previous charter for
this group.
Gregg Vanderheiden, Co-chair
Loretta Guarino Reid, Co-chair
Michael Cooper, Team Contact
Copyright ©
2010 W3C ® (MIT , ERCIM
, Keio), All Rights
Reserved.
$Date: 2010/06/10 18:11:17 $