WAI Mission and Organization

WAI develops...

• guidelines widely regarded as the international standards for Web accessibility
• support materials to help understand and implement Web accessibility
• resources, through international collaboration

WAI welcomes...

• participation from around the world
• volunteers to review, implement, and promote guidelines
• dedicated participants in interest groups or working groups

The World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) commitment to lead the Web to its full potential includes promoting a high degree of usability for people with disabilities. WAI, in coordination with organizations around the world, pursues accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work:

• ensuring that core technologies of the Web support accessibility
• developing guidelines for Web content, user agents, and authoring tools
• facilitating development of evaluation and repair tools for accessibility
• conducting education and outreach
• coordinating with research and development that can affect future accessibility of the Web

How WAI is Organized

WAI is a Domain within the W3C, with two Activities and several Working Groups and Interest Groups:

1. WAI Technical Activity
   • Protocols and Formats Working Group (PFWG)
   • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG)
   • Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AUWG)
   • User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (UAWG)
   • Evaluation and Repair Tools Working Group (ERT WG)
2. WAI International Program Office
   • WAI Interest Group (WAI IG)
   • Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG)
   • Research and Development Interest Group (RDIG)
   • WAI Coordination Group (member only)