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

Translating WAI Documents

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Translation Assistance Welcome

We welcome assistance with translations of Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) documents. This page contains information regarding the W3C translation policy; how to coordinate with W3C and WAI when translating documents; and priorities for translations of WAI documents, with links to existing translations.

W3C Translation Policy

W3C maintains a page on Translations at W3C. This page describes the general language policy at W3C; existing translations organized by language and by document; and how to help translate a W3C document. It includes links to a searchable archive of the mailing list for translators of W3C documents.

More detailed information is available in W3C's intellectual rights FAQ, particularly under the question can I translate one of your specifications into another language? There is also useful information in the section on W3C Documents in the FAQ, including the "can I change it?" question; the "is it official?" question, and the "can I annotate it?" question. It is also important to read the information on W3C document use.

Authorized W3C Translations

Most translations are informative and unofficial. In cases where translations are meant for official purposes, they may de developed as Authorized W3C Translations according to the Policy for Authorized W3C Translations. This policy is designed to ensure transparency and community accountability in the development of authorized translations under the oversight of W3C. Generally only completed W3C Recommendations and Notes are candidates for Authorized W3C Translations, including the WAI Guidelines, Techniques, and other W3C Notes listed on under "WAI Technical Activity" on the W3C Technical Reports and Publications page.

Coordinating with W3C and WAI

If you are translating a WAI document, please follow the instructions in how to help translate a W3C document, and be sure to notify the w3c-translators@w3.org mailing list when you first plan to translate a document, and then again when you have finished a translation. You may also subscribe to the list if you wish, and/or ask questions about translation on the list. If you do not receive a response to your message, or discover that your completed translation has not been linked from the WAI Resources page, please also notify us at wai@w3.org.

When resources related to document translation, such as a WAI Glossary, become available, they will be announced on the translators' mailing list as well as on this page. Once it becomes a stable document, we expect the WAI Glossary will serve as a useful starting point for translators from different organizations who share a common language, to enable them to develop consensus among different organizations on translations of key terminology related to Web accessibility.

We will also announce updates of the suggested priorities and/or policies for translating WAI documents on the translators' list and on this page. For example, WAI is exploring development of a translation policy which would enable certain types of WAI documents, if translated according to a specific process, to be designated as "official" or "authorized" translations. When such a policy becomes available, it will be announced on the translators' list and posted here.

Priorities for Translating WAI Documents

People frequently ask us which WAI documents they should translate. Three lists follow:

  1. Top priority - foundation documents with wide audience
  2. Introductory and short materials - documents that might be easier to translate than the technical documents
  3. Technical materials - which are likely to require more translation time and knowledge

These lists are suggested priorities only. They are not meant to prevent people from translating documents for which they have a specific need. If you are interested in translating WAI documents that are not listed on this page or on the W3C Technical Reports page, please inquire first by contacting us at wai@w3.org.

Documents in bold are completed and ready for translation. Additional status information indicates if revision is planned soon or if the document will be superceded or replaced by another document soon. The "To be completed in 2008" sections list documents that we expect to complete and have ready for translation later this year.

Top priority:

To be completed in 2008 (not yet ready for translation):

Introductory and short materials:

More technical materials:

The complete list of WAI documents is available on the WAI Site Map.