INFORMATION SOCIETIES TECHNOLOGY
(IST)
PROGRAMME
Contract for:
Accompanying Measure
Annex 1 - Description of Work
Project acronym: WAI-TIES
Project full title: Web Accessibility Initiative - Training, Implementation, Evaluation, Support
Contract no.: (to be completed by Commission)
Related to other Contract no.: (to be completed by Commission)
Date of preparation of Annex 1: May 2002
Date of preparation of Revised Annex for ERCIM transfer: December 2002
Proposal number: IST-2001-38471
Operative commencement date of contract: (October 2002)
Shared Cost AM CPF Form - Form A2 | ||
EN C FP5AM | ||
EUROPEAN COMMISSION | FOR COMMISSION USE ONLY | |
RESEARCH DIRECTORATES GENERAL | ||
SHARED COST AM CPF FORMS | Project Acronym WAI-TIES | Proposal No IST-2001-38471 |
A2. Project Summary 20, Objectives (maximum 1000 characters) |
Over the past several years there has been a significant increase in awareness of the need for Web accessibility and development of policies relating to Web accessibility in Europe. The majority of government and commercial Web sites, however, remain inaccessible to many people with disabilities. This proposal therefore addresses five primary objectives:
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Description of the work (maximum 2000 characters) |
The proposed work falls into seven workpackages.
WP01 addresses project management. WP02 addresses assessment and evaluation. WP03 addresses implementation resources, and comprises revision and expansion of materials supporting Web site evaluation, development, or retrofitting. WP04 addresses outreach and information, and comprises presentations, newsletters, and meetings. WP05 addresses training, and comprises technical training and best practices exchange on Web site evaluation, development, and retrofitting. WP06 addresses meetings of review teams; and an exploration of sustainable models for review teams. WP07 addresses standards harmonization. |
Milestones and expected results (maximum 500 characters) |
Expected results include increased awareness of the need for Web accessibility and implementation resources; more accurate Web site evaluations; effective and sustainable review teams for site evaluation; increased participation of Europeans in W3C/WAI activities; better harmonization of Web accessibility standards; and increased support for the EC's e-Accessibility objectives. |
The main objective of Web Accessibility Initiative -- Training, Implementation, Evaluation, Support (WAI-TIES) ("way-tize") is to increase accessibility of the Web for people with disabilities in Europe.
This primary objective is addressed through seven workpackages. The first two workpackages focus on project management and assessment and evaluation. These two workpackages seek to ensure an effectively staffed and managed project, with good progress on deliverables and good communication within the project and with the EC; and to ensure effective mid-course evaluation and correction of the workplan and timelines where appropriate.
There are already a variety of implementation resources available for Web accessibility, many of which have been developed for public use by W3C/WAI under the WAI-DA Project. These resources are heavily used and receive good feedback. However W3C/WAI receives frequent requests for more specific types of implementation resources; and when observing implementation of Web accessibility in Europe, certain areas emerge as needing additional implementation resources and specialized training.
EU Member States have committed to adopting WCAG as a conformance target for their government Web sites. Many organizations involved in implementing WCAG in these States have asked for more and better guidance on approaches and tools for evaluating Web sites, retrofitting Web sites, and designing accessible new Web sites.
WP03-Implementation Resources will focus on development, revision, and/or expansion of key Web-based resources which provide guidance on the process of Web site evaluation; the process of working with evaluation teams; and explanations of the different tools available to assist with evaluations. These implementation resources provide the foundation for the dissemination, training, and review team activities described below in WP04, WP05, and WP06.
There is a continued need for outreach on Web accessibility in Europe, even with increased awareness in recent years of the need for Web accessibility. This objective is addressed through several activities under WP04-Outreach. Activities under this workpackage include continuation of an electronic newsletter on Web accessibility, to be sent to an updated contact database of electronic mailing lists originally developed under the WAI-DA project; presentations throughout Europe; and hosting of W3C/WAI meetings in EU Member States with an emphasis on increased European involvement in W3C/WAI groups working on advanced guidelines.
To supplement the implementation materials, there is the need for increased capacity of technical experts in the field of accessibility. WP05-Training focuses on specific areas of training where there are currently gaps in expertise. These include expertise in evaluation of Web sites, retrofitting of inaccessible sites, and development of accessible new Web sites. Training will be offered to participants in review teams (see WP06-Review Teams) and will be open to others as well, with the expectation that attendees not currently part of a team may go on to establish review teams of their own. Training will include presentations by experts, hands-on practice, and exchange of best practices among trainees already engaged in Web site evaluation, retrofitting, or development.
There is a need for continuity of evaluation and retrofitting activities into the future. WP06-Review Teams addresses several factors which will contribute to sustainable review teams: opportunities to network and receive training to increase the expertise of review team members; and analysis of sustainable review team models.
A proliferation of interest in Web accessibility has not only resulted in a proliferation of creative and effective approaches to promoting Web accessibility in different EU Member States -- but also in divergent standardization efforts. The latter has the effect of fragmenting standards and diluting the potential for development of supporting implementations in Web software such as authoring tools -- tools which could greatly facilitate the production of accessible Web content. WP07-Standards Harmonisation includes several activities which will help coordinate dialog and harmonisation efforts among different groups involved in development of accessibility standards: documenting the benefits of standards harmonisation in the area of Web accessibility; maintaining a reference list of relevant standards efforts; and meeting and consulting with standards organizations as the need arises.
Activities during the first 3 months will establish subcontractor and additional staffing as appropriate, and with permission of the European Commission further refine management communication, and set priority criteria for participation in training. This will result in a solid framework for project activities.
Activities from month four to month twelve will include materials development, outreach, training, coordination on Web site evaluation, standards coordination, and reporting and assessment.
Activities from month thirteen to twenty-four will include materials development, outreach, training, coordination on Web site evaluation, standards coordination, and reporting and assessment.
Activities from month twenty-five to thirty-six will include outreach, training, coordination on Web site evaluation,standards coordination, and reporting and assessment.
This proposal addresses key needs in the area of Web accessibility in support of the IST Programme's goals of greater inclusion for people with disabilities.
WAI-TIES addresses five primary objectives towards increased implementation of Web accessibility in Europe:
There is only one "Commission level" partner in
this project, and one primary subcontractor which appears in the Project
Forms.
Participant Role |
Participant number |
Participant name |
Participant short name |
Country |
Status |
Date enter project |
Date exit project |
C |
1 |
World Wide Web Consortium
/ |
W3C/INRIA |
F |
REC |
0 |
3 |
C | 1 (replacement) | W3C/European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics | W3C/ERCIM | F | REC | 4 | 36 |
S |
1 (related to) |
BrailleNet | BN |
F | OTH |
4 |
36 |
C = coordinator (or use C-F and C-S if financial and
scientific co-ordinator roles are separate)
S - subcontractor
This proposal supports IST Programme goals for greater inclusion of people with disabilities in European society, including IST2002-I.2.1, Systems and Services for the Citizen, systems for independent living. In addition it supports the goals for adoption of Web accessibility outlined in the e-Europe Initiative, and in the EC's Communication: "eEurope 2002: Accessibility of Public Web Sites and their Content." The proposed activities will help consolidate, complement and extend FP5 activities and results, including results of the Web Accessibility Initiative: Design for All (WAI-DA) activities focused on developing resources for and increasing awareness of Web accessibility; and will contribute to reinforcing eEurope objectives beyond 2002.
WP03-Implementation Resources relates to action line IST2002-VIII.1.8, Dissemination and awareness of IST research results. EU Member States have committed to adopting WCAG as a conformance target for their government Web sites. Many organizations involved in implementing WCAG in Member States have asked for more and better guidance on approaches and tools for evaluating Web sites, retrofitting Web sites, and designing accessible new Web sites.
WP04-Outreach also relates to action line IST2002-VIII.1.8, Dissemination and awareness of IST research results. There is a continued need for outreach on Web accessibility in Europe, even with increased awareness in recent years of the need for Web accessibility.
WP05-Training relates to action line IST2002-VIII.1.4, Improving human capital in IT by competence building (IHC). To supplement the implementation materials, there is the need for increased capacity of technical experts in the field of Web accessibility.
WP06-Review Teams relates to action line IST2002-VIII.1.2, Networks of Excellence and working groups in IST. There is a need for continuity of evaluation and retrofitting expertise in the future.
WP07-Standards Harmonisation relates to action line IST2002-VIII.1.3, Channeling of standardisation and interoperability initiatives, by promoting the adoption of a common set of Web accessibility standards through the EU.
The summary statement for the policy framework for the IST 2002 Work Programme states:
The European Union has set an objective for the next decade at the Lisbon European council in March 2000: "To become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion." ....The eEurope initiative is a key component of the EU strategy to attain this objective. It aims at allowing Europe to exploit its strengths and to overcome the barriers that are still holding back the uptake of digital technologies.
The e-Europe 2002 Action Plan, under Objective 2: Investing in People and Skills, section (c) Participation for all in the knowledge-based economy, notes the recognition by the Lisbon European Council that "special attention should be given to disabled people and the fight against "info-exclusion" and notes that "ensuring access to government websites for citizens becomes as important as ensuring access to public buildings." The Plan further states that:
Public sector web sites and their content in Member States and in the European Institutions must be designed to be accessible to ensure that citizens with disabilities can access information and take full advantage of the potential for e-government.In relation to "designing in" accessibility to all information society technologies, training for designers in this area is relatively new and therefore fragmented across Europe. There remains much scope for mutual learning among centres of excellence to build a coordinated and high-quality approach.
In addition to noting the commitment to adopt the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines for public Web sites, the EU response to this objective includes:
Both of these EU responses are addressed in part by activities proposed under WAI-TIES: improvement in evaluation tools and increased expertise in conducting Web site evaluations will facilitate the benchmarking process for Web accessibility; and expanded guidance, training of experts, and best practice exchanges among review teams will facilitate the development of national centers of expertise in accessible Web design while laying the groundwork for curriculum for accessible Web design.
At the same time, the principles of Web accessibility are inherently supportive of other Key Actions of the IST 2002 Work Programme, including Key Action II-New Methods of Work and Electronic Commerce; Key Action III-Multimedia Content and Tools; Key Action IV-Essential Technologies and Infrastructures, in that accessible Web design lays the foundation for future-compatible Web design and development. For instance, since Web accessibility promotes multi-modality and supports device independence, Web accessibility also helps provide a foundation for:
In all EU Member States the World Wide Web plays a significant role in government, education, commerce, health care, recreation, and more; and in every EU Member State, people with disabilities are experiencing barriers to accessing information on the Web. There are no borders on the Web, and what is inaccessible in one Member State presents barriers for people with disabilities in the next Member State, just as what is accessible in one Member State provides doorways to information for people with disabilities in other Member States.
The solutions to Web accessibility are as pan-European as are the barriers, and each Member State currently needs additional implementation support in the form of information, explanatory materials, and training in order to make more rapid progress on Web accessibility. Commissioner Liikanen, in his 25 September, 2002 press conference announcing the release of the EC Communication: "eEurope 2002: Accessibility of Public Web Sites and their Content," noted that "the adoption of this Communication sends a very strong signal across Europe, a clear commitment from the EU and the 15 Member States to make their online [services] accessible to all citizens."
The WAI-TIES proposal addresses common needs for implementation support throughout the EU, with implementation resources and outreach that is largely Web and Internet-based and therefore highly reusable; with training events and development of review teams that will help increase the expertise in Web accessibility throughout the EU; and with standards harmonisation work that will support a common standard for Web accessibility in order to leverage more supporting implementations from software developers and more ability to share implementation resources.
This coordinated approach on standards is entirely conducive to EU Member States developing unique approaches to promotion of awareness of Web accessibility, as has happened over the past several years with a creative outpouring of different approaches to promotion of Web accessibility in different Member States, but at the same time promoting a common set of standards around which to develop implementation support.
WAI-TIES contributes directly to the policy framework of the IST 2002 Work Program, "To become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion" and likewise to the e-Europe Initiative, addressing the integration people with disabilities into the information society throughout EU Member States, and improving the usability of electronic information available to all Europeans.
WAI-TIES supports the economic progress of people with disabilities by helping remove barriers that would otherwise prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in the information society. A more accessible Web, for people with disabilities, means access to educational materials, to employment opportunities posted on the Web; to workplace communication through Web-based intranets; and to government services that help prepare the way for educational and employment opportunity. In addition, by virtue of its close coordination with the W3C, WAI-TIES fosters the convergence and interoperability of Web technologies at a global level, which is a key objective of the EU.
WAI-TIES supports Key Action I.2.1, Systems and Services for the Citizen, systems for independent living; as well as other Key Actions of the IST 2002 Work Programme, including Key Action II-New Methods of Work and Electronic Commerce, and Key Action III-Multimedia Content and Tools, and Key Action IV-Essential Technologies and Infrastructures, in that accessible Web design lays the foundation for future-compatible Web design and development. For instance, Web accessibility provides the foundation for:
All WAI-TIES activities will be oriented to support maximum dissemination and exploitation of results.The W3C's primary mode of publication is in accessible formats on the Web where they can be accessed and used by anyone. For this project, all deliverables of the formats "Report," "Reference List," "Resource Suite," "Presentation," and "Electronic Newsletter" will be available on the Web. Deliverables of the format "Meetings" will have their agendas and minutes available on the Web. Deliverables of the format "Training" will have their agenda and presentation materials available on the Web.
W3C/WAI has a strong tradition of localization of its resources particularly into European languages. Several implementation and outreach resources under WAI-TIES will be localized into a minimum of five European languages: WP03.1-EVALSITE, WP03.2-REVTEAMS, WP03.3-RETROFIT, WP03.4-TOOLREFS and WP04.4-6-NEWSLTR1-3.
WAI-TIES will continue to provide hard copy WAI Quick Tips upon request in a variety of European Languages, and expand distribution of the WAI Flyer which has been localised into European languages but not extensively distributed yet in hard copy.
WAI-TIES will continue many of the European outreach efforts started under WAI-DE (Web Accessibility Initiative: Disabled and Elderly) and WAI-DA (Web Accessibility Initiative: Design for All). These include presentations at conferences, workshops, and seminars in the EU as described in Workpackage 4; and dissemination of an electronic newsletter through an established network of contacts among different electronic mailing list managers in Europe.
WAI-TIES will enable more comprehensive dissemination and exploitation of the results of previously EC-funded WAI-DA work on Web accessibility in Europe as well as dissemination and exploitation of new explanatory material. In addition to expanded dissemination of deliverables mentioned above, WAI-TIES will focus on precisely those areas which are currently presenting barriers to more effective adoption of WCAG. These areas include capacity-building of expertise in Web site evaluation, development, and retrofitting; and capacity-building among developers who build tools for evaluating Web site accessibility.
Users are involved throughout all levels of W3C/WAI and the WAI-TIES project. Individuals with disabilities are among the stakeholder groups participating in identifying requirements and developing consensus for W3C/WAI accessibility guidelines, and participate in development of W3C/WAI education and outreach materials, and in dissemination activities. Individuals with disabilities will be involved in development of the majority of WAI-TIES activities, and participate in the capacity-building training events and meetings.
General user feedback is also vital to development of implementation resources at W3C. The W3C has a well-established process for inviting public feedback on draft documents, reviewing, and incorporating appropriate feedback, and will use this process with WAI-TIES documents.
A number of countries outside of the EU have already established requirements for Web accessibility for government sites, and in some countries, also commercial sites. In these countries, a variety of evaluation approaches are underway; various tools are being developed; and there is some training available for developers of accessible Web sites. It is important that EU Member States do not lag behind in the area of design and development of accessible Web sites, and that the European Web industry is able to compete internationally when encountering requirements for accessibility of Web sites and Web authoring tools in markets where these requirements have already been in place, such as Australia, Canada, and the United States.
At the same time, there is room for EU Member States to move ahead in some regards. The evaluation tools available to date all have various strengths and weaknesses with regard to accurate evaluation of WCAG conformance. The guidance developed under WP03.4-TOOLREFS should have a positive impact on the quality of evaluation tools developed and localized for use in EU Member States -- as well as providing more effective reference material for tool developers outside of the EU, whose tools can be used within the EU as well.
Increased accessibility of European Web sites will help to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities among customers of electronic commerce, so that they are among the revenue-generating market sectors that European industry is able to reach. Promoting implementation of WCAG will improve the technical quality of Web sites in European Union Member States. Currently many Web sites in Europe, as in the rest of the world, contain markup that is invalid, inaccessible, and/or only usable by certain browsers. These Web sites inadvertently create barriers for some of the audiences they seek to attract. Promoting implementation of WCAG not only improves access to these sites for people with disabilities, but also improves the interoperability and universality of the Web sites in general, for instance by promoting use of standard HTML or XHTML; by promoting separation of structure and content from presentation; by promoting use of style sheets which enhance the efficiency of serving and maintaining Web sites; and by the numerous other carry-over benefits of designing for accessibility.
WAI-TIES activities will increase awareness of these approaches to Web design and the capacity in the field to implement Web accessibility.
Seven WAI-TIES workpackages address the objectives of management, evaluation, implementation resources, outreach, training, review networks and standards harmonisation. This section of the proposal provides details on work descriptions, timelines, and resource allocation.
This project is organized in seven workpackages:
Workpackage list |
Workpackage |
Workpackage title |
Lead |
Person |
Start |
End |
Deliverable |
|
WP01 | Project Management | 1 | 3 | 1 | 36 | WP01.1 - WP01.6 | |
WP02 | Assessment/Evaluation | 1 | 3 | 10 | 36 | WP02.1 - WP02.3 | |
WP03 | Implementation Resources | 1 | 11 | 1 | 36 | WP03.1 - WP03.4 | |
WP04 | Outreach | 1 | 17 | 1 | 36 | WP04.1 - WP04.9 | |
WP05 | Training | 1 | 10.7 | 3 | 36 | WP05.1 | |
WP06 | Review Teams | 1 | 11 | 3 | 36 | WP06.1 - WP06.2 | |
WP07 | Standards Harmonisation | 1 | 5 | 1 | 36 | WP07.1 - WP07.2 | |
TOTAL | 60.7 |
WP01: Project Management |
Workpackage number: WP01 Start date or starting event: Month 1 Participant number: 1 Person-months per participant: 3 |
WP01: Objectives
The central objective for "WAI-TIES WP01: Project Management" is to ensure effective staffing and management of the project. This objective comprises three sub-objectives:
Note: the Project Management Workpackage WP01 is further described in 9.7. |
WP01: Description of work
Effective management and coordination of WAI-TIES activities requires close integration with W3C activities and process; with the international work of WAI; and with the Commission's Project Officer as issues arise during the project period. Activities under WP01 include identifying additional staff and subcontractor where not already named in this proposal; establishing management expectations and communication methods; establishing clear expectations for the nature and timing of deliverables; and providing reports, information, presentations and other contractual deliverables requested by the Commission. Communication with staff and subcontractor entails a minimum of monthly meetings with staff and subcontractor; regular use of e-mail and teleconference communication; regular review of deliverables under development, and participation of staff and subcontractor in W3C/WAI working groups such as the Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG) where appropriate. Activities under WP01 will be conducted by the WAI-TIES Project Coordinator, WAI-TIES Technical Coordinator, and WAI-TIES Outreach Coordinator. Deliverables will be available in electronic and hard-copy formats. |
WP01: Deliverables
|
WP01: Milestones and expected results
[Milestones indicate month deliverable to be completed.]
|
WPO2: Assessment and Evaluation |
Workpackage number: WP02 Start date or starting event: Month 1 Participant number: 1 Person-months per participant: 3 |
WPO2: Objectives
The central objective for "WAI-TIES WP02: Assessment and Evaluation" is to provide a mechanism for mid-term assessment of project effectiveness, and where necessary mid-term correction of project activities. This objective comprises two sub-objectives:
|
WPO2: Description of work
The extent of the accessibility of the Web is dependent on many factors, some easily observable, and some more difficult to ascertain. WAI-TIES activities exist within a context of factors and trends that also affect progress on Web accessibility, including:
Assessment and evaluation of WAI-TIES WP02 involves observation, feedback, data collection, and analysis focusing on the specific activities under WAI-TIES. Assessment and evaluation will look for impact associated with WAI-TIES activities, and factors contributing to progress on the objectives of WP03 - WP07. Activities under WP02 will be conducted by the WAI-TIES Project Coordinator and WAI-TIES Outreach Coordinator. Deliverables will be available in electronic and hard copy formats. |
WP02 Deliverables:
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WP02 Milestones and expected results
[Milestones indicate month deliverable to be completed.]
|
WPO3: Implementation Resources |
Workpackage number: WP03 Start date or starting event: Month 1 Participant number: 1 Person-months per participant: 11 |
WPO3: Objectives
The central objective for WAI-TIES WP03: Implmentation Resources is to develop implementation resources to support evaluation, retrofitting, and development of Web sites, in consideration and support of the e-Europe accessibility work. These implementation resources provide the foundation for the much of the dissemination, training, and review team activities described below in WP04, WP05, and WP06. This objective comprises five sub-objectives:
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WPO3: Description of work
Development of implementation resources involves the participation of many different kinds of stakeholder communities (industry, disability, research, government, media, other) in order to ensure that the materials are useful to, and usable by, a variety of audiences. WP03 work will include maintaining updated reference links to evaluation and retrofitting tools including localized versions of such tools; soliciting feedback from Web site evaluators who have used the evaluation protocol described in "Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility" and revising the document as needed; further developing the document "Web Accessibility Review Teams" by incorporating feedback from successful teams; and developing guidance for developers of evaluation and retrofitting tools on how to develop tools to facilitate evaluation of conformance to WCAG 1.0 and WCAG 2.0. This work will involve researching, writing, and editing a variety of documents in a collaborative process with the Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG); sending such documents out for public review; then reviewing, discussing, and where appropriate incorporating improvements based on user feedback. Activities under WP03 will be conducted by the WAI-TIES Project Coordinator, WAI-TIES Outreach Coordinator, and Subcontractor where appropriate. Deliverables will be available in electronic formats. |
WPO3: Deliverables
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WPO3: Milestones and expected results
[Milestones indicate month deliverable to be completed.]
|
WPO4: Outreach |
Workpackage number: WP04 Start date or starting event: Month 1 Participant number: 1 Person-months per participant: 17 |
WPO4: Objectives
The central objective for WAI-TIES WP04: Outreach is dissemination of information on Web accessibility and W3C/WAI. Outreach is a necessary continuation and expansion of outreach and awareness activities conducted under the WAI-DA project. This objective comprises three sub-objectives:
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WPO4: Description of work
Dissemination of information on Web accessibility involves contact with different stakeholder communities (industry, disability, research, government, media, etc.) in different EU Member States and EU institutions. WAI-TIES focuses on three primary activities for its outreach and information dissemination. WP04 work will include presentations and media interviews on Web accessibility; distribution of localized WAI Quick Tips and WAI Flyers at conferences and other events; distribution of information about Web accessibility and online WAI resources through a network of electronic mailing lists throughout Europe developed during the WAI-DA project; and hosting of W3C/WAI working group meetings (such as guidelines, education and outreach, technical, or research-related working groups) in EU Member States and Affiliated States in order to facilitate European participation in W3C/WAI activities. This work will involve delivering presentations and media interviews; preparation of electronic newsletters; maintaining a database of contacts for electronic mailing lists in different EU Member States and Affiliated States; expanding the availability of localized versions of WAI resources; and coordinating with related events in Europe to hold W3C/WAI meetings. Activities under WP04 will be conducted by WAI-TIES Project Coordinator, WAI-TIES Outreach Coordinator, and Subcontractor A. Deliverables will be available in electronic and/or hard-copy formats. |
WPO4: Deliverables
|
WPO4: Milestones and expected results
[Milestones indicate month deliverable to be completed.]
|
WPO5: Training |
Workpackage number: WP05 Start date or starting event: Month 3 Participant number: 1 Person-months per participant: 10.7 |
WPO5: Objectives
The central objective for "WAI-TIES WP05: Training" is to provide training, including to people with disabilities, to increase expertise in Web site evaluation, retrofitting, and development. Training by experts helps build a persistent base of expertise for the future. This objective comprises two sub-objectives:
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WPO5: Description of work
Review teams for Web accessibility ideally include individuals with a variety of skills and experiences, including different kinds of disabilities, and use of different kinds of assistive technologies; knowledge of Web accessibility guidelines, Web markup languages, and Web design; and knowledge of effective techniques for evaluating Web sites. In the context of responding to the e-Europe initiative, it is important to build review team capacity in the different regions of Europe, and among the different languages of Europe to the extent feasible. Priority for participation in trainings will go to individuals from review teams willing to coordinate with WAI-TIES on review work during the year and who will contribute to well-balanced and well-distributed review teams, and where such training will help build capacity in NGO's. Training on Web accessibility requires a high level of technical expertise in order to be able to train effectively across a variety of Web technologies and avoid providing misinformation to trainees. WP05 work will include training on evaluation of Web sites, retrofitting of inaccessible sites, and design of new sites. Training will include workshop presentations, hands-on training, and best practices exchange. Activities under WP05 will be conducted by the WAI-TIES Technical Coordinator, WAI-TIES Outreach Coordinator, and Subcontractor where appropriate, with the involvement of other WAI staff where appropriate. Deliverables will be available in electronic formats. |
WPO5: Training
|
WPO5: Milestones and expected results
[Milestones indicate month deliverable to be completed.]
|
WPO6: Review Teams |
Workpackage number: WP06 Start date or starting event: Month 1 Participant number: 1 Person-months per participant: 11 |
WPO6: Objectives
The central objective for "WAI-TIES WP06: Review Teams" is to help develop good quality teams with the expertise to evaluate accessibility of Web sites, retrofit inaccessible sites, and develop new accessible Web sites. A network of trained review teams, including people with disabilities, helps ensure development of technical skills and build a base of expertise for the future. This objective comprises two sub-objectives:
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WPO6: Description of work
WP06 work will include coordinating with review teams whose members have received training from WAI-TIES; selecting or assigning Web sites to review from among those covered by the e-Europe Initiative; the review teams evaluating those sites; and the WAI-TIES staff reviewing the evaluations and providing coaching where necessary on how to improve the quality of the evaluations. The revised, "coached" reviews will be provided to the Commission in report format. In addition, work will include exploring models, commercial and otherwise, for a sustainable network of Web accessibility review and development teams in Europe in the future to support the e-Europe Initiative. Activities under WP06 will be conducted by WAI-TIES Project Coordinator, WAI-TIES Outreach Coordinator, and Subcontractor A where appropriate. Deliverables will be available in electronic formats. |
WPO6: Deliverables
|
WPO6: Milestones and expected results
[Milestones indicate month deliverable to be completed.]
|
WPO7: Standards Harmonisation |
Workpackage number: WP07 Start date or starting event: Month 1 Participant number: 1 Person-months per participant: 5 |
WPO7: Objectives
The central objective for "WAI-TIES WP07: Standards Harmonisation" is to support harmonisation of Web accessibility standards throughout Europe. Harmonisation of Web accessibility standards is crucial in leveraging increased implementations of accessibility solutions in Web-based applications such as Web authoring tools as well as browsers and multimedia players. This objective comprises three sub-objectives:
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WPO7: Description of work
Harmonisation of standards involves maintaining an effective dialog with a variety of standards organizations which are, or may be, considering adoption, referencing, or development of Web accessibility standards; and promoting harmonisation around a common definition of Web site accessibility as well as a common approach to accessibility support in Web-based applications such as authoring tools, browsers, and multimedia players. WP07 work will include continuing to promote awareness among participants in European standards organizations of the W3C/WAI accessibility guidelines, and awareness of opportunities to participate in and/or contribute to the development of advanced versions of W3C/WAI accessibility guidelines; increasing dialog where there are divergent standards efforts in different EU Member States; and promoting increased awareness of three W3C/WAI guidelines in addition to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, e.g. the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines, User Agent Accessibility Guidelines, and the XML Accessibility Guidelines. WP07 work will involve presentations and consultations with a variety of standards organizations. Activities under WP07 will be conducted by WAI-TIES Project Coordinator and WAI-TIES Outreach Coordinator. Deliverables will be available in electronic formats. |
WPO7: Deliverables
|
WPO7: Milestones and expected results
[Milestones indicate month deliverable to be completed.]
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Deliverable No. | Deliverable Title | Delivery Date | Nature | Dissemination Level |
WP01.1 | MNGCOMUN | 3 | R (Report) | PP (Restricted) |
WP01.2 | QUARTRPT | quarterly | R | PP |
WP01.3 | ANNLRPT1 | 12 | R | PP |
WP01.4 | ANNLRPT2 | 24 | R | PP |
WP01.5 | ECPRESNT | as requested | O (Other -- Presentation) | PU (Public) |
WP01.6 | FINLREPT | 36 | R | PP, PU |
WP02.1 | ASSESS01 | 12 | R | PP |
WP02.2 | ASSESS02 | 24 | R | PP |
WP02.3 | ASSESS03 | 36 | R | PP |
WP03.1 | EVALSITE | 18 | O (Other -- Resource Suite) | PU |
WP03.2 | REVTEAMS | 18 | O (Other -- Resource Suite) | PU |
WP03.3 | RETROFIT | 18 | O (Other -- Resource Suite) | PU |
WP03.4 | TOOLREFS | 36 | O (Other -- Reference List) | PU |
WP04.1 | PRESENT1 | 12 | O (Other -- Presentation) | PU |
WP04.2 | PRESENT2 | 24 | O (Other -- Presentation) | PU |
WP04.3 | PRESENT3 | 36 | O (Other -- Presentation) | PU |
WP04.4 | NEWSLTR1 | 12 | O (Other -- Electronic Mail) | PU |
WP04.5 | NEWSLTR2 | 24 | O (Other -- Electronic Mail) | PU |
WP04.6 | NEWSLTR3 | 36 | O (Other -- Electronic Mail) | PU |
WP04.7 | MEETNGS1 | 12 | O (Other -- Meetings) | PU |
WP04.8 | MEETNGS2 | 24 | O (Other -- Meetings) | PU |
WP04.9 | MEETNGS3 | 36 | O (Other -- Meetings) | PU |
WP05.1 | CRITERIA | 3 | R (Report) | PU |
WP05.2 | TRAINING | 36 | O (Other -- Trainings) | PU |
WP06.1 | COACHRV1 | 12 | R (Report) | PU |
WP06.2 | COACHRV2 | 24 | R (Report) | PU |
WP06.3 | COACHRV3 | 36 | R (Report) | PU |
WP06.4 | RVTMODEL | 36 | R (Report) | PU |
WP07.1 | STDSBENF | 12 | O (Other -- Resource Suite) | PU |
WP07.2 | STDSCNSL | 36 | O (Other -- Presentations & Consultations) | PU |
Workpackage | Deliv. # | Deliv. Title | Months (chart shows due dates) | |||||
1-6 | 7-12 | 13-18 | 19-24 | 25-30 | 31-36 | |||
Project Management | WP01.1 | MNGCOMUN | 3 | |||||
WP01.2 | QUARTRPT | 4 | 7, 10 | 13, 16 | 19, 22 | 25, 28 | 31, 34, 36 | |
WP01.3 | ANNLRPT1 | ------12 | ||||||
WP01.4 | ANNLRPT2 | ------24 | ||||||
WP01.5 | ECPRESNT | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | ------36 | |
WP01.6 | FINLREPT | ------36 | ||||||
Evaluation & Assessment |
WP02.1 | ASSESS01 | ------12 | |||||
WP02.2 | ASSESS02 | ------24 | ||||||
WP02.3 | ASSESS03 | ------36 | ||||||
Implementation Resources | WP03.1 | EVALSITE | -------- | -------- | --------18 | |||
WP03.2 | REVTEAMS | -------- | -------- | --------18 | ||||
WP03.3 | RETROFIT | -------- | --------18 | |||||
WP03.4 | TOOLREFS | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | --------36 | |
Outreach | WP04.1 | PRESENT1 | -------- | --------12 | ||||
WP04.2 | PRESENT2 | -------- | --------24 | |||||
WP04.3 | PRESENT3 | -------- | --------36 | |||||
WP04.4 | NEWSLTR1 | -------- | --------12 | |||||
WP04.5 | NEWSLTR2 | -------- | --------24 | |||||
WP04.6 | NEWSLTR3 | -------- | --------36 | |||||
WP04.7 | MEETNGS1 | -------- | --------12 | |||||
WP04.8 | MEETNGS2 | -------- | --------24 | |||||
WP04.9 | MEETNGS3 | -------- | --------36 | |||||
Training | WP05.1 | CRITERIA | ---3 | |||||
WP05.2 | TRAINING | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | --------36 | ||
Review Teams | WP06.1 | COACHRV1 | -------- | ------12 | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
WP06.2 | COACHRV2 | -------- | -------- | -------- | ------- 24 | -------- | -------- | |
WP06.3 | COACHRV3 | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | --------36 | |
WP06.4 | RVTMODEL | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | --------36 | ||
Standards Harmonisation | WP07.1 | STDSBENF | -------- | --------12 | ||||
WP07.2 | STDSCNSL | -------- | -------- | --------36 |
Workpackage | Deliv. # | Deliv. Title | Months (chart shows due dates) | |||||
1-6 | 7-12 | 13-18 | 19-24 | 25-30 | 31-36 | |||
Web site evaluation and retrofitting -- implementation resource development, training |
||||||||
Implementation Resources | WP03.1 | EVALSITE | -------- | -------- | --------18 | |||
WP03.3 | RETROFIT | -------- | -------- | --------18 | ||||
WP03.4 | TOOLREFS | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | --------36 | |
Training | WP05.1 | CRITERIA | ---3 | |||||
WP05.2 | TRAINING | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | --------36 | |
Review teams development -- implementation resource development, review teams |
||||||||
Implementation Resources | WP03.2 | REVTEAMS | -------- | -------- | --------18 | |||
Review Teams | WP06.1 | COACHRV1 | -------- | --------12 | -------- | -------- | -------- | ---------- |
WP06.2 | COACHRV2 | -------- | -------- | --------- | ------- 24 | -------- | --------36 | |
WP06.3 | COACHRV3 | -------- | -------- | -------- | --------36 | |||
WP06.4 | RVTMODEL | -------- | -------- | --------36 | ||||
Outreach & increase participation |
||||||||
Outreach | WP04.1 | PRESENT1 | -------- | --------12 | ||||
WP04.4 | NEWSLTR1 | -------- | --------12 | |||||
WP04.7 | MEETNGS1 | -------- | --------12 | |||||
WP04.2 | PRESENT2 | -------- | --------24 | |||||
WP04.8 | NEWSLTR2 | -------- | --------24 | |||||
WP04.5 | MEETNGS2 | -------- | --------24 | |||||
WP04.3 | PRESENT3 | -------- | --------36 | |||||
WP04.6 | NEWSLTR3 | -------- | --------36 | |||||
WP04.9 | MEETNGS3 | -------- | --------36 | |||||
Standards Harmonisation |
||||||||
Standards Harmonisation | WP07.1 | STDSBENF | -------- | --------12 | ||||
WP07.2 | STDSCNSL | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | --------36 | ||
Project management and assessment |
||||||||
Project Management | WP01.1 | MNGCOMUN | ---3 | |||||
WP01.2 | QUARTRPT | 4 | 7, 10 | 13, 16 | 19, 22 | 25, 28 | 31, 34 | |
WP01.3 | ANNLRPT1 | 12 | ||||||
WP01.4 | ANNLRPT2 | 24 | ||||||
WP01.5 | ECPRESNT | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | --------36 | |
WP01.6 | FINLREPT | --------36 | ||||||
Evaluation & Assessment |
WP02.1 | ASSESS01 | 12 | |||||
WP02.2 | ASSESS02 | 24 | ||||||
WP02.3 | ASSESS03 | 36 |
The Project Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the overall quality of deliverables; timely progress on development of deliverables and completion of deliverables; and renegotiation of deliverables and/or timelines with Project Officer as circumstances warrant. Project management for WAI-TIES will take place under the management structure of the W3C.
As a single-partner proposer, decisions within the WAI-TIES project will be taken by the Project Coordinator, in consultation with the Technical Manager, Outreach Coordinator, and Subcontractor where relevant, and under the process of the W3C.
As a single-partner proposer, WAI-TIES does not require a special process for conflict resolution within a consortium of partners.
The Project Coordinator will establish a detailed management communication system by Month 3. This will include a minimum of monthly meetings with staff and Subcontractor; regular use of e-mail and teleconference communication; regular review of deliverables under development.
WAI-TIES staff and subcontractor will participate in W3C/WAI working groups where appropriate to the focus of their deliverable in order to ensure coordination with other W3C/WAI materials. For instance, implementation support and training materials related to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines will be developed in coordination with W3C/WAI's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG) and the Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG).
WAI-TIES will produce quarterly reports which will assist in timely problem identification, and will conduct more comprehensive assessments and evaluations at the end of the first and the second project years, and a final report at the end of the project. The annual reports will provide opportunity for mid-course correction of the focus of deliverables or timelines for deliverables as needed. Deliverables under several workpackages will be reviewed by relevant WAI working groups, particularly the Education and Outreach Working Group, which include participants from a number of EU Member States and a variety of perspectives including industry, disability, research, and government, and these documents will be revised until they meet the standards of the working group.
Subcontractual agreements will be specific with regard to the nature, scope, and timing of each assigned task, and the review and revision process anticipated for each relevant deliverable. Final subcontractual agreements will be proposed as part of WP01.1: Management Communication, by the end of the third month and discussed with a representative of European Commission before finalizing with subcontractor and/or staff.
WAI-TIES will explore clustering with other IST-funded Projects that involve promotion and/or implementation of Web accessibility, for instance projects conducting outreach on accessible information technology; projects providing technical assistance on implementation support for Web accessibility; and projects researching developments which may facilitate increased Web accessibility in the future.
Travel Outside the EU Member States and Associated States.
WAI-TIES anticipates four trips per project year outside EU Member States and Associated States to interface with other international activity of W3C/WAI.
Protection of Knowledge.
[From Article 8.II -- Ownership of Knowledge]
Other Specific Costs from A7.2, A8.3, A 9.1, A9.2.
No other significant project costs from these forms.
Description of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C):
The World Wide Web Consortium was created in October 1994 to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability. W3C has more than 500 Member organizations from around the world and has earned international recognition for its contributions to the growth of the Web. W3C is financed primary by its Members and, to a lesser extent, by public funds. W3C Membership is available to all organizations.
W3C is hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Laboratory for Computer Science [MIT/LCS] in the United States; the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique [INRIA] in Europe; and the Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus in Japan. In January 2003, ERCIM becomes the European host of W3C. Many of the more than sixty researchers and engineers that make up the W3C Team work at these host locations.
By promoting interoperability and encouraging an open forum for discussion, W3C commits to leading the technical evolution of the Web. In just over seven years, W3C has developed more than 40 technical specifications for the Web's infrastructure. However, the Web is still young and there is still a lot of work to do, especially as computers, telecommunications, and multimedia technologies converge. To meet the growing expectations of users and the increasing power of machines, W3C is already laying the foundations for the next generation of the Web. W3C's technologies will help make the Web a robust, scalable, and adaptive infrastructure for a world of information.
As with many other information technologies, in particular those that owe their success to the rise of the Internet, the Web must evolve at a pace unrivaled in other industries. Almost no time is required to turn a bright idea into a new product or service and make it available on the Web to the entire world; for many applications, development and distribution have become virtually indistinguishable. At the same time, easy customer feedback has made it possible for designers to fine tune their products almost continually. With an audience of millions applying W3C specifications and providing feedback, W3C concentrates its efforts on three principle tasks:
Since 1997 W3C has hosted the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), an international project with the goal of increasing accessibility of the Web for people with disabilities. WAI is one of W3C's five primary domains (areas of work). WAI receives funding from several national governments, including the U.S. Government, the European Commission, and the Canadian Government; and funding from industry sponsors including Elisa Communications, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Verizon, and Wells Fargo. WAI's activities including ensuring that the technologies of the Web support accessibility, developing guidelines for Web accessibility, developing tools to facilitate Web accessibility, conducting education and outreach, and coordinating with research projects that can affect future Web accessibility.
The European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of European research and development in information technology and applied mathematics. Its sixteen national member institutions aim to foster collaborative work within the European research community and to increase co-operation with European industry. For more information see http://www.ercim.org
Judy Brewer joined W3C in September 1997 and directs the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). She coordinates review of W3C technologies’ support of accessibility for people with disabilities; development of accessibility guidelines for Web content and applications; tools for evaluation and repair of Web sites; education on Web accessibility solutions; and coordination with research impacting the future accessibility of the Web.
Prior to joining W3C, Ms. Brewer directed a project promoting access to assistive technology for people with disabilities. She worked on initiatives to increase access to mainstream technology for people with disabilities and improve dialog between industry and disability communities. Her background includes management, technical writing, education, applied linguistics, and disability advocacy.
Daniel Dardailler joined W3C in July 1996 and is now Deputy Director for W3C in Europe. He is involved in the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and the Quality Assurance (QA) activity of W3C.
Prior to joining W3C, Mr. Dardailler was acting as a Software Architect for the X Window System Consortium, responsible for the Motif toolkit and others CDE (Unix Desktop) components.
Daniel holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Nice/Sophia-Antipolis (1989).