RDIG

Research and Development Interest Group Charter (RDIG)

This charter is written in accordance with section 4.2.2 of the W3C Process Document.

Table of Contents

1. Mission
2. Scope
3. Duration
4. Deliverables
5. Success
6. Confidentiality
7. Coordination
8. Communication
9. Voting
10. Participants

How to join the RDIG

1. Mission

The mission of the Research and Development Interest Group (RDIG) is

• to increase the number of Web-related researchers who incorporate accessibility into their research design,
• and to identify projects researching Web accessibility, and suggest techniques that may contribute to new projects.

The desired outcome of more research in Web accessibility and awareness of accessibility in mainstream Web-related research should decrease the number of potential barriers in future Web-related technologies.

The work of this group is part of the WAI International Program Office.

2. Scope

2.1 Intended audience of deliverables

The primary audience for the RDIG's deliverables is public and private researchers of Web-related technologies including assistive technologies for people with disabilities. We expect that this work may also be of interest to potential funders of Web-related research.

2.2 Focus of activities

Items in the scope of work are:

• creating a forum, through a mailing list, teleconferences, and face-to-face meetings, for exchange of information on key areas of Web-related research and current accessibility trends;
• identifying and prioritizing areas of research (existing or absent) that may significantly impact the accessibility of the Web;
• developing approaches to promote awareness and provide guidance to researchers in prioritized areas, such as:
  • promoting partnerships between researchers with complementary expertise;
  • compiling accessibility-aware research resources for public reference, including summaries of the results of forum discussions;
  • posting a prioritized list of research problems that need to be investigated.
  • coordinating with projects external to the W3C.

3. Duration

The RDIG is scheduled for 24 months, from November 2000 through October 2002.

4. Deliverables

1. Teleconference Calendar. Proposed list of topics with schedule of teleconferences at which those topics will be addressed. Potential topics include:
   • virtual reality markup languages,
   • e-commerce,
   • digital TV,
   • agents,
   • mobile technologies,
   • intellectual property rights and security issues,
   • affordability,
   • adaptability,
   • internationalization,
   • semantic web,
   • distance learning,
   • collaborative environments,
   • assistive technologies for people with disabilities.
2. Teleconference events. One and one half hour teleconferences, scheduled every other month (i.e., 6 times per year), to explore a given research topic in depth. Topics will be nominated and selected by the RDIG members in good standing. Materials will be available at least one week in advance of the call and will include:
   • a list of confirmed speakers,
   • Web-based reading materials, including presenter slides if available,
   • and questions from participants.

   The following questions will be discussed for each research topic:

   • What are the implications of this area on accessibility?
   • What are the possible coordination points (people, places, projects)?

   Other questions will be collected.

   Upcoming teleconference will be publicized in such places as:

   • The W3C Advisory Committee Newswire,
   • WAI Calendar,
   • W3C Calendar.
3. Reports. A brief written synopsis of discussion with links to the material generated for the event such as a reading list, key research projects for the topic, and audio and text transcripts.
4. Prioritized Research Problems. Prioritized list of research questions that are not being investigated or are not being sufficiently investigated. Descriptions and implications of each question or issue will be provided as well as links to additional information if available.
5. Tips for Accessibility-Aware Research. Start-up tips and very basic guidance for researchers to help them incorporate accessibility into their research designs. This is not the comprehensive statement about how to do universal research design.
6. Research Resources. Web page of reference links to accessibility-based research resources.

5. Success

To be considered successful, the RDIG should:

• hold well-attended teleconference discussions that result in useful reports;
• involve researchers in discussions who were previously not aware or active in accessibility issues;
• increase the number of projects investigating accessibility issues with the Web (through new projects being launched or otherwise addressing issues from the prioritized list);
• deliver the described deliverables.

6. Confidentiality

Group proceedings, e-mail list, archives, charter, and deliverables are all public.

7. Coordination

This group coordinates with other WAI Working Groups through the WAI Coordination Group (WAI CG) [Members only].

The RDIG will be identifying future Web access issues and implications for the other WAI working groups. As potential future barriers are identified, the WAI CG will be notified if it appears a resolution is within the scope of a WAI working group. If resolution appears to be outside the scope of the WAI or W3C, the RDIG will coordinate with the external organization per their process.

7.1 Education and Outreach

Since the RDIG will be focusing its efforts on researchers willing to participate in discussions, to reach other researchers it will have to create educational materials to educate policy makers, researchers not reached by the RDIG, students, and other people interested in the work of this group. The Education & Outreach Working Group will advise this group on creating materials to reach these audiences.

7.2 External organizations

Currently, the type of research this group will investigate does not occur at the W3C, thus the RDIG will coordinate with other groups, worldwide who perform the research and development or who coordinate research and development in their geographical region or topic area. For example:

• COST 219 bis works to increase the availability of telecommunications products, including the Web, for people with disabilities and the elderly. They accomplish this by creating industry guidelines, disseminating research results, surveying the practical needs of disabled people and elderly and evaluating the future possibilities of Information Technologies.
• The Web3D Consortium provides a forum for the creation of open standards for 3D specifications to be used on the Web, and to accelerate the worldwide demand for products based on these standards through the sponsorship of market and user education programs. This community created the VRML 1.0 and 2.0 specifications.

7.3 Mobile and Internationalization

As mobile applications and internationalization of products drive the development of Web applications over the next few years, key research contacts and topics will come from these developments. The RDIG will coordinate with the W3C activities on Mobile Access, Internationalization, Voice Browsing, and TV to maintain awareness of key developments, researchers, and projects.

8. Communication

• Primary communication mechanisms: w3c-wai-rd@w3.org mailing list and RDIG home page.
• Phone meetings: Teleconferences every month alternating each month between an "event" and a planning and discussion call.
• Face-to-face meetings: Every 6 months. We may also try to schedule:
  • "Birds of a Feather" ("BOF") sessions in conjunction with heavily attended research-type conferences
  • A yearly panel session at the WWW series of conferences.
• Communication with W3C: WAI CG.
• Communication with disability community: direct involvement in the RDIG (invited experts).
• Communication with research community: direct involvement in the RDIG (invited experts).
• Communication with W3C Member organizations: Member newswire, calendar, & newsletter
• Communication with the public: Education & Outreach WG, participant presentations, and the RDIG home page.

9. Voting

The RDIG will follow the W3C Process for consensus and votes (as described in the 11 November 1999 version). In case the RDIG is required to vote on a particular issue, each Member organization or technical expert's organization will have one vote.

10. Participants

Membership in the RDIG is open to the public. All subscribers to the mailing list w3c-wai-rd-ig@w3.org are RDIG members. Members in good standing are those who:

• regularly attend teleconference and face-to-face meetings;
• assist in organizing and publicizing teleconference events with speakers, as well as writing or editing the resulting reports from the discussions.

10.1 W3C Members

Participation in the RDIG is open to all employees of W3C member organizations.

10.2 Invited Experts

People who may not be employees of a W3C Member organization are invited to participate if involved in some area of research that is related to the Web such as:

• new Web applications and user interfaces;
• usability studies of Web usage and tools;
• studies of Web accessibility issues;
• development of Web architecture;
• investigating future applications of Web or Internet technologies (telecommunications, Web appliances, etc.).

10.3 W3C Team

• 30% Wendy Chisholm
• 10% Judy Brewer
• 15% Marja-Riitta Koivunen

10.4 Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

The purpose of the RDIG is to discuss future Web issues based on current research and development. Public documents will accompany these discussions and will be made available royalty-free to everyone, following W3C standard IPR terms. Therefore, anyone commenting in the RDIG will be considered to offer these ideas as contributions to the RDIG documents. Organizations with IPR in areas related to the RDIG must disclose IPR as described in the W3C Process regarding IPR and W3C's IPR fact sheet. Invited experts are required to disclose IPR claims in the same manner as individuals from W3C Member organizations.

10.5 How to join

How to join the RDIG.

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