ACT Rules Format 1.0 is a W3C Proposed Recommendation

Dear WAI Interest Group Participants,

The Accessibility Conformance Testing (ACT) Rules Format 1.0 has been 
published as a W3C Proposed Recommendation:
   - https://www.w3.org/TR/act-rules-format/

The Accessibility Conformance Testing (ACT) Rules Format 1.0 specifies a 
common format for accessibility test rules. Examples of ACT Rules 
written in accordance with this specification are continuously developed 
by the W3C ACT Rules Community Group (previously called Auto-WCAG 
Community Group):
   - https://act-rules.github.io/rules/
   - https://www.w3.org/community/act-r/

The Accessibility Conformance Testing (ACT) Rules Format 1.0 is a stable 
document that successfully passed several rounds of review. The 
implementation report lists examples of ACT Rules and implementations of 
these rules, to demonstrate that this specification can be applied in 
practice. We invite further development and implementation of ACT Rules 
by developers of automated testing tools and manual testing methodologies:
   - https://w3c.github.io/wcag-act/act-implementations.html

The Accessibility Conformance Testing (ACT) Rules Format 1.0 and 
resulting ACT Rules are intended to help reduce conflicting 
interpretations in accessibility testing. Writing rules according to a 
common standard facilitates exchange and harmonization among developers. 
This allows for more transparency and reliability of accessibility 
testing, and helps increase adoption and implementation.

A blog post Harmonizing Accessibility Testing provides more background 
and discussion on Accessibility Conformance Testing (ACT):
   - https://www.w3.org/blog/2019/07/harmonized-accessibility-testing/

Proposed Recommendation means that the specification is ready for final 
sign-off by W3C Member organizations. Comments from the public are 
welcome too. Proposed Recommendation and other document stages are 
introduced in How WAI Develops Accessibility Guidelines through the W3C 
Process at:
   - http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/w3c-process

Please follow the instructions in the Status of This Document section if 
you want to comment on this document. If you work for a W3C Member 
organization, please ask your Advisory Committee (AC) Representative to 
provide feedback. Comments are welcome through 24 September 2019:
   - https://www.w3.org/TR/act-rules-format/#status

Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you in advance for 
your comments and support.

Regards,
   Andrew Kirkpatrick, Accessibility Guidelines WG Chair,
   Alastair Campbell, Accessibility Guidelines WG Chair,
   Wilco Fiers, ACT TF Facilitator,
   Mary Jo Mueller, ACT TF Facilitator,
   Michael Cooper, Accessibility Guidelines WG W3C Staff Contact,
   Shadi Abou-Zahra, ACT TF W3C Staff Contact

-- 
Shadi Abou-Zahra - http://www.w3.org/People/shadi/
Accessibility Strategy and Technology Specialist
Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Received on Tuesday, 30 July 2019 09:12:29 UTC