Abstract
This multi-page document describes the ways in which the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) can help users of mobile devices and the Mobile Web Best Practices (MWBP) can help people with disabilities.
Status of This Document
This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. Other documents may supersede this document. A list of current W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be found in the W3C technical reports index at http://www.w3.org/TR/.
Incomplete draft: This document is an editor's copy that has no official standing and is incomplete. Particularly, the section WCAG 2.0 and MWBP Together is only an outline; WCAG 1.0 to MWBP is only partly filled out. It is subject to major changes and is therefore not intended for implementation. It is provided for review and feedback only. Please send feedback to public-bpwg-comments@w3.org (archive).
A Requirements/Analysis and changelog for Relationship Between MWBP & WCAG and a record of updates and modifications to this document are available separately.
This document was developed jointly by the Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group and the Education & Outreach Working Group (EOWG) of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) as part of the Charter of the Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group (see the dependencies in the Charter).
Publication as a Working Draft does not imply endorsement by the W3C Membership. This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this document as other than work in progress. The Working Group is particularly seeking feedback on references to similar works and content to fill the remaining sections.
This document is a First Public Working Draft intended to be eventually published as a Group Note.
This document was produced by groups operating under the 5 February 2004 W3C Patent Policy. W3C maintains a public list of any patent disclosures made in connection with the deliverables of the Mobile Web Best Practices Group and also maintains a public list of any patent disclosures made in connection with the deliverables of the Education and Outreach Working Group; those pages also include instructions for disclosing a patent. An individual who has actual knowledge of a patent which the individual believes contains Essential Claim(s) must disclose the information in accordance with section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy.
Longevity and Versioning
This document makes primary reference to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 and the 11 December 2007 draft of WCAG 2.0 and Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0. New versions of these documents are expected to be produced during the life of this document. New versions of this document should be produced as soon as new versions of the referenced Recommendations are published and well understood.
Audience
Readers of this document are expected to be familiar with the creation of Web sites, and to have a general familiarity with the technologies involved, such as Web servers and HTTP. Readers are not expected to have a background in mobile-specific technologies. it is important to understand the other W3C Recommendations to which it refers (see Related Documents of Interest).
Our intention is to make it clear to all involved what the Best Practices and Guideleines are, and hence establish a common basis of understanding. As a result of wishing to be clear to those not already involved in the development of mobile friendly content, some of our statements may appear to be obvious or trivial to those with experience in this area.
The document is not targeted solely at developers; others, such as interaction and graphic designers are encouraged to read it.
Many readers of the document are likely to have a good knowledge of general Web accessibility but are concerned with the problems of persons with disabilities in the mobile context.
Scope
This document describes cross-over benefits of MWBP and WCAG beyond their primary target user groups. It does not create any further requirements beyond those defined in the MWBP and the WCAG.
Web accessibility for people with disabilities is beyond the scope of this document except where it especially affects mobile users. It is described in WCAG. The needs of users in the mobile Web context is beyond the scope of this document except where it especially affects users with disabilities. It is described in MWBP.
How to Use This Document
Before continuing with this document further you may wish to read the introductory documents that accompany it:
This overview introduces a multi-page document describing the relationship between WCAG and MWBP. There are four other sections (each a separate page) corresponding to the relationships between MWBP 1.0 and two versions of WCAG. Of the four documents, you may prefer to concentrate on only one, either to address users with disabilities or mobile users, or if you currently focus on one group, the benefits for the other group:
The Problem of Multiple Overlapping Requirements
Certain features of Web content cause barriers both for users of mobile devices and users with disabilities. However, the ways to overcome these barriers are dealt with in different documents, depending on the category of users who the document seeks to help. While reading this section it can be useful to compare the effects that content features have on different users. This is described in the separate document Experiences Shared by People with Disabilities and by People Using Mobile Devices [Editors' Draft, January 2008]
[To do: Review content of this section in the from-to document to check for relevance here.]
Separation of Concerns
Accessibility specialists are not generally concerned with the mobile context. Likewise Mobile Web specialists tend not to be concerned with accessibility for persons with disabilities. However they do have common requirements and design principles.
Testing with Users and Devices
Both MWBP and WCAG provide information about the possible barriers to users, and advice about how to avoid them. Compliance does not guarantee usability or accessibility. Barriers may arise other than those described and content providers should avoid them by performing user testing. Other solutions than those described may be found to the barriers. User testing should always include a representative range of users, including those with different disabilities, as well as devices.
Special Meanings of Terms Used in this Document
Some common words are used in this document with specific meanings. These are defined below.
- no added benefit
- Indicates a provision of a recommendation that has no specific additional benefit for users covered by the other recommendation beyond that experienced by the general user. This does not imply that the other user group will not benefit, but rather that they will not dereive any extra benefit. For example, since users with disabilities use the Web on mobile devices they are expected to benefit from the MWBP like any other user. However some BPs may bring added benefits to users with disabilities beyond the benefit to the general mobile user. If not, the term “no added benefit” is used.
Comment: Cite the relevant text from each recommendation that advises doing user testing. Does WCAG 2.0 recommend testing with users?