• Skip to Content
• | Change text size or colors

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

Site Navigation

W3C Home

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Home

1. Getting Started
2. Designing for Inclusion
3. Guidelines & Techniques
4. Planning & Implementing
5. Evaluating Accessibility
6. Presentations & Tutorials
7. Getting Involved with WAI
   1. Participating
   2. About WAI
   3. Using WAI Material
   4. Getting WAI Announcements
   5. WAI Groups
   6. Group Task Forces
      1. Indie UI Task Force
      2. HTML Accessibility Task Force
      3. WCAG2ICT Task Force
      4. Research & Development
         1. RDTF FAQ
         2. RDTF Wiki
         3. Minutes
         4. Current Participants
         5. How to Join (Participation)
         6. »Work Statement
         7. E-mail Archives

[Draft] Research and Development Task Force (RDTF) Work Statement

Status

This draft Work Statement for the Research and Development Task Force (RDTF) has not yet been approved by Accessible Platform Architectures (APA) Working Group (previously Protocols and Formats Working Group). RDTF is not yet active. Comments on this draft work statement is welcome. Please send feedback to public-wai-rd@w3.org (public archive).

Objective

The objective of the Research and Development Task Force (RDTF) is to identify accessibility knowledge gaps and barriers in emerging and future web technologies. RDTF works within W3C and externally with the accessibility research community to identify strategies to address these gaps, with both near and long term strategies. This objective is complementary to W3C's work overall, and to the work of other Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) groups, in particular the Accessible Platform Architectures (APA) Working Group (previously Protocols and Formats Working Group).

Scope

The Research and Development Task Force (RDTF) works within W3C to identify accessibility knowledge gaps which impact accessibility of W3C technologies, and to identify research findings, researchers, and research opportunities to inform and fill those gaps where possible. This first goal is complementary to the work of the Accessible Platform Architectures (APA) Working Group (previously Protocols and Formats Working Group), in that specific accessibility gaps identified in APA specification review without immediate technical solutions would shift to RDTF. A secondary goal is to identify potential accessibility barriers in emerging and future web technologies and develop a catalog of research topics and research questions to inform W3C members and the broader web research community of key areas requiring focus and resources to ensure accessibility. A tertiary goal is the incorporation of accessibility considerations into research on web technologies, including industry research, and research funded by governmental, technological and scientific funding agencies. 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.

RDTF's scope of work includes:

• Coordinate with relevant groups within W3C, including APA WG (previously PFWG) and WCAG, to identify gaps in knowledge impeding development or resolution of accessibility support in ongoing standards development;

• Contribute input through review and comment on work in other W3C groups where appropriate on future development of WAI guidelines and specifications from the perspective and expertise of the accessibility research community;

• Explore trends in accessibility research and development, drawing upon group member expertise and engagement with existing groups such as WAI IG, to identify areas of research (existing or absent) that may significantly impact accessibility of the Web, and maintain a catalog of research challenges on key topics;

• Develop and publish brief reports and summaries to inform W3C membership of research-based recommendations for addressing key issues identified;

• Utilize existing platforms, such as WAI IG, to engage researchers and developers to discuss web accessibility research directions, and support the exchange between researchers with complementary expertise across W3C member organizations and external groups across industry, academia, and government;

• Develop approaches to promote awareness and provide guidance on incorporating accessibility to researchers, research organizations, and funding agencies in various areas.

Approach

• Regular dialog with the APA WG and other W3C Working Groups to identify accessibility knowledge gaps and to provide assistance in identifying applicable research or recommendations via WG Notes and/or by defining research questions, challenges, or opportunities to be placed in the Research Catalog. Priority will be given to accessibility gaps blocking or otherwise limiting accessibility features in existing specification work;

• Timely completion of brief reports from previously held symposia on web accessibility metrics, mobile accessibility, text customization, easy-to-read, user modeling, accessible e-learning, and accessible way-finding, utilizing a condensed publishing format to ensure quality and usability of these reports to W3C membership and the broader accessibility research community;

• The completion of two virtual symposia focusing on selected research topics of particular interest from the broad spectrum of technologies, applications, and industries. The symposia adopt a new, asynchronous model including recorded presentations and moderated discussion forum. Each symposium includes research contributions and a summative report, possibly as a WG Note, detailing the outcomes of each symposium;

• Meeting approximately every other week dedicated to informal discussions of research topics that are not being investigated or are not being sufficiently investigated;

• A public facing resource which collates the group deliverables, including: research reports and summaries; Tips for Accessibility-Aware Research; and a catalog of research topics that are not being investigated or are not being sufficiently investigated;

• Provision of mailing lists, face-to-face meetings, alternating weekly planning and research meetings, and other medium to support the RDTF forum and promote research partnerships;

Deliverables

1. Research Topics Catalog: An annotated catalog of accessibility research topics maintained by RDTF members and based on the items gathered in the Catalog Topics Wiki. This includes topics with short-, medium-, and long-term perspectives, and covering different web-related technologies and application domains. Catalog items will include descriptions of the topics, research questions identified by the group, as well through dialog with other W3C Working Groups and through outreach via the WAI IG, and resources to related activities and projects. Some of these topics may be selected for further exploration through Virtual Research Symposia (described below).

2. Virtual Research Symposia: Two symposia will be scheduled and utilize an efficient asynchronous model to encourage greater participation and interaction via online presentations and moderated discussion forums.  The symposia will explore specific research topics in depth that are of importance to emerging and future W3C technologies. Topics will be drawn for input obtained from TF members, the APA WG, other W3C working groups, and the broader research community, then selected and prepared by RDTF participants in good standing. Materials will be available at least one week in advance of the symposia. The Research Symposia page lists current and previous online research symposia carried out by the group. Potential future topics include web accessibility aspects of:

   • cognitive disabilities
   • virtual reality on the Web
   • social media and networking
   • online education and training
   • digital publishing and broadcasting
   • telemedicine and telecare
   • augmented reality
   • digital rights management
   • web accessibility in less developed regions
   • internationalization

3. Symposium Research Reports: Concise synopsis, possibly as Working Group Notes, of discussion with links to the material generated for the symposium such as a reading list, key research projects for the topic, presentations, and discussion. Published symposium reports are linked from the Research Symposia page. This page also links to the individual symposia pages that include all symposia resources, including symposia report drafts in development.

4. Targeted Research Notes and Summaries: Accessibility knowledge gaps identified via discussion with APA and other W3C Working Groups may result in specific recommendations and guidance, based on relevant research findings identified by RDTF. Such findings may be directly communicated to the relevant working group, or may warrant documentation in form of a WG Note, if more broadly relevant across other Working Groups.

5. Tips for Accessibility-Aware Research: Start-up tips and basic guidance for researchers for incorporating accessibility considerations into their research designs, based on an initial concept outline, to be published as an online resource after further development and review by the group. The resource will also be useful to research organizations which wish to include accessibility considerations in their research programs, and to research funding agencies.

Timeline

@@@

Dependencies

W3C Groups

• WAI Interest Group (WAI IG) -- to augment discussion on RDTF research topics
• WAI Accessible Platform Architecture Working Group (APA WG, previously PFWG) -- to get input on potential research needs identified during specification reviews
• Other W3C Groups -- coordinate with W3C and WAI activities as needed, to maintain awareness of key developments, researchers, and relevant projects.

External Groups

Engage with research groups within W3C member organizations and other groups world wide who perform research and development or who coordinate research and development in their geographical region or topic area.

Communication

RDTF communications are publicly visible. Communication mechanisms for RDTF include:

1. Public mailing list public-wai-rd@w3.org with archive;
2. Weekly teleconferences, minutes from the teleconferences;
3. Regular updates and feedback to APA WG, and potentially WAI Interest Group (IG) as needed;
4. Regular submission of deliverables to APA WG for approval;
5. Summary of current status and progress on the RDTF home page.

Participation

RDTF participants must be participants of APA WG and must actively contribute to the work of RDTF, including:

1. Minimum 4 hours per week of RDTF work;
2. Remain current on the RDTF mailing list and respond in a timely manner to postings;
3. Participate in RDTF telephone meetings, or send regrets ahead of the meeting.

RDTF participants are not expected to be active participants in other activities of the APA WG but are invited to do so.

Contact Shadi Abou-Zahra (shadi@w3.org) to become a participant of RDTF or with questions.

Leadership

• Staff contact: Shadi Abou-Zahra (shadi@w3.org)
• Task Force facilitators: Markku Hakkinen and TBA

Participants

Participants in the Research and Development Task Force (RDTF).

Patent Policy

This Task Force is part of the APA WG Charter, which operates under the W3C Patent Policy (5 February 2004 Version).

Document Information

[Contacting WAI]

File (not content) last updated on $Date: 2015/06/15 09:54:57 $ by $Author: shadi $