Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group Charter
The mission of the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group (ARIA WG, formerly part of the Protocols and Formats Working Group) is to develop technologies that enhance accessibility of web content for people with disabilities. This includes continued development of the Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) suite of technologies and other technical specifications when needed to bridge known gaps.
This mission is complementary to the work of other Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) groups
| Start date | 22 October 2015 |
|---|---|
| End date | 31 July 2018 |
| Charter extension | 31 October 2018. The charter extension history is documented in "About this charter" |
| Confidentiality | Proceedings are public. |
| Initial Chairs | Rich Schwerdtfeger |
| Current Chairs | Joanmarie Diggs, James Nurthen. Changes to chairs is documented in "About this charter" |
| Initial Team Contacts (FTE %: 25) |
Michael Cooper (25%) |
| Usual Meeting Schedule | Teleconferences: Weekly Face-to-face: approximately 2 per year |
Scope
- Create technology extensions to address accessibility issues in already deployed technologies;
- Build and execute test suites for normative deliverables;
- Help create WCAG 2.0 techniques for technologies that ARIA WG helps to develop;
- Determine features needed in future versions of ARIA and publish requirements;
- Contribute to WCAG 2.0 Techniques specific techniques for HTML 5 and ARIA.
Success Criteria
- Release of WAI-ARIA 1.1 and supporting specifications as a W3C Recommendation;
- Begin work on future versions of WAI-ARIA and supporting specification modules;
Deliverables
The following deliverables will be published as W3C Technical Reports and supporting resources. Accessibility API Mapping Guides fill the role previously filled by WAI-ARIA 1.0 User Agent Implementation Guide, modularized and developed on separate timelines to address multiple host languages.
- Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) modules (Recommendation) versions 1.1 and later including but not limited to:
- Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) core module,
- Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA module (with input from the Digital Publishing Interest Group),
- Graphics WAI-ARIA module; (jointly with the SVG working group),
- Cognitive WAI-ARIA module (jointly with the APA and WCAG),
- WAI-ARIA Interaction Module 1.0 (jointly with the WebApps Working Group);
- Accessibility API Mapping modules (Recommendation) versions 1.0 and later including but not limited to:
- Core Accessibility API Mappings,
- Accessible Name and Description: Computation and API Mappings,
- HTML Accessibility API Mappings (jointly with the HTML Working Group),
- SVG Accessibility API Mappings (jointly with the SVG Working Group),
- Digital Publishing Accessibility API Mappings (with input from the Digital Publishing Interest Group);
- User Context Properties (Recommendation) versions 1.0 and later (formerly developed by the IndieUI Working Group as IndieUI: User Context);
- WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices (Note);
- Joint deliverables with the HTML Working Group prepared by the HTML Accessibility Task Force. At charter time, these include: At charter time, the future of the HTML Working Group and HTML Accessibility Task Force are unknown, as structural changes have been proposed but not yet approved. The joint ownership of this deliverable may be taken up by another group or continued solely by the ARIA WG.
The ARIA Working Group expects to work jointly with other Working Groups on many of the above deliverables, and may form joint task forces.
Other Deliverables
- Test suites for technical specifications;
- DTDs, schemata, and other resources to support automated validation of content that uses WAI-ARIA;
- Requirements for normative deliverables including future WAI-ARIA versions;
- WAI-ARIA samples;
- WAI-ARIA 2.0 Roadmap;
Milestones
Some deliverables below are not projected to achieve completion by the end of the three-year span of this charter. The Working Group intends to begin work on them during this charter period and continue work in a future charter period. Timelines projected beyond the end of the current charter period are indicated as "Post 2018".
| Note: The group will document significant changes from this initial schedule on the group home page. | ||||
| Specification | FPWD | CR | PR | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAI-ARIA 1.1 | Oct 2015 | Apr 2016 | Jun 2016 | |
| Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA module | Jun 2015 | Feb 2016 | Jun 2016 | Aug 2016 |
| Graphics WAI-ARIA module | Oct 2015 | Nov 2016 | Oct 2017 | Dec 2017 |
| Core Accessibility API Mappings | Oct 2015 | Mar 2016 | Apr 2016 | |
| Accessible Name and Description: Computation and API Mappings 1.1 | Oct 2015 | Mar 2016 | Apr 2016 | |
| HTML Accessibility API Mappings | Dec 2015 | Mar 2016 | Apr 2016 | |
| SVG Accessibility API Mappings | Feb 2016 | Oct 2016 | Dec 2016 | |
| Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA Accessibility API Mappings | Aug 2015 | Oct 2016 | Jun 2017 | Aug 2017 |
| User Context Properties | May 2016 | May 2017 | Nov 2017 | Jan 2018 |
| WAI-ARIA 2.0 | Jun 2017 | Post 2018 | Post 2018 | Post 2018 |
| Cognitive WAI-ARIA Module | Nov 2015 | Feb 2017 | Apr 2018 | Jun 2018 |
| WAI-ARIA Interaction Module 1.0 | Mar 2016 | Sep 2017 | Post 2018 | Post 2018 |
A detailed plan to achieve these milestones is documented in the ARIA WG Project Management Plan.
Dependencies
Dependencies on W3C Groups
- Accessible Platform Architectures Working Group
- Collaborate on joint deliverables.
- CSS Working Group
- Coordinate media queries support for context awareness. Provide requirements for future WAI-ARIA support. Coordinate on general CSS accessibility topics.
- Digital Publishing Interest Group
- Coordinate development of digital publishing roles.
- Internationalization Activity
- Coordinate how to address accessibility and internationalization in W3C specs.
- Technical Architecture Group
- Confirm the ARIA relationship to various host languages is interoperable and forwards-compatible.
- Privacy Interest Group
- Identify and resolve privacy implications of features of the technology that capture user environment information, particularly specific assistive technology being used, in order to customize the user experience.
- SVG Working Group
- Develop graphics role module and SVG Accessibility API Mappings..
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Working Group
- Work on HTML 5 and ARIA Techniques for WCAG 2.0.
- Web Platform Working Group
- Implementation of ARIA and HTML Accessibility API Mappings, coordinate development of APIs that address accessibility use cases, and work on other joint deliverables including Canvas 2D Context.
Furthermore, Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group expects to follow these W3C Recommendations:
Liaisons to External Groups
ARIA WG does not maintain formal liaisons to external groups, but does coordinate on an as-needed basis on topics of mutual relevance. At charter time, these organizations include:
- DAISY Consortium;
- OpenAjax Alliance Accessibility Task Force;
- Linux Foundation Open Accessibility Workgroup;
- IETF (where protocols impact accessibility);
- Raising the Floor;
- Schema.org and Schema.org Community Group;
- IMS Global Learning Consortium;
Participation
To be successful, the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group is expected to have 10 or more active participants for its duration, with participation where possible including representation from industry including browser and assistive technology implementers, disability communities, and accessibility research. Effective participation in the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group is expected to consume two to four hours per week for each participant; twice as much per week for chairs and editors. The Accessible Platform Architectures Working Group will allocate also the necessary resources for building Test Suites for each specification.
Communication
The Working Group communicates by regular teleconferences, email, IRC, Web-Based Survey, issue tracker comments, and occasional face to face meetings. At charter time, the group uses the following mailing lists:
- public-aria@w3.org: ordinary Working Group discussion and public comments;
- wai-xtech@w3.org: Working Group discussions involving a wider audience than the WG membership;
- w3c-wai-ig@w3.org: announcements of Working Group activities including publications and key events;
- Additional public mailing lists may be set up as needed for task forces.
The Working Group may form task forces, which may conduct work using separate teleconferences, email lists, and other tools. At time of charter, task forces include: Digital Publishing Accessibility Task Force (jointly with the Digital Publishing IG), SVG Accessibility Task Force (jointly with the SVG WG), WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices Task Force, and WAI-ARIA User Agent Implementation Task Force.
Details about available communication mechanisms, as well as other information about the group (deliverables, participants, face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, etc.) is available from the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group home page as well as the WAI home page.
This group coordinates with other WAI groups to ensure a common approach to addressing accessibility requirements.
Decision Policy
At charter time, the decision policy is under review within the group in order to develop a decision process that supports greater asynchronous participation and minimize dependence on weekly teleconferences. Until completed, the Working Group decision policy is as explained in Process Document section 3.3 of the W3C Process Document.
The Working Group maintains specific procedures to establish and measure consensus and address objections in the ARIA Working Group Decision Policy.
Patent Policy
This Working Group operates under the W3C Patent Policy (5 February 2004 Version). To promote the widest adoption of Web standards, W3C seeks to issue Recommendations that can be implemented, according to this policy, on a Royalty-Free basis.
For more information about disclosure obligations for this group, please see the W3C Patent Policy Implementation.
About this Charter
This charter for the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group has been created according to section 5.2 of the Process Document. In the event of a conflict between this document or the provisions of any charter and the W3C Process, the W3C Process shall take precedence.
This Working Group is one of two split from the former Protocols and Formats Working Group. This group focuses on technology development while the APA Working Group focuses on technology review. A diff version between this charter and the previous PFWG charter is available. Primary changes in this charter:
- Added WAI-ARIA 1.1 extension modules.
- Added WAI-ARIA 1.1 and Accessibility API Mappings for ARIA and several host languages as normative deliverables.
- Split the specification development function from the specification review function in the previous Protocols and Formats Working Group. Specification development is in this group, and specification review is in the Accessible Platform Architectures (APA) Working Group. Some Note-track deliverables were moved to the other group.
- Added requirements and roadmap for WAI-ARIA 2.0.
- Added Web Accessibility API 1.0.
- Added User Context Properties.
- Moved from Member visibility to Public visibility.
Charter extension: On 6 September 2018 the charter was extended to 31 October 2018 to allow time to address Advisory Committee input on the proposed new charter.
Chairs: Joanmarie Diggs was appointed co-chair on 4 January 2017. Rich Schwerdtfeger stepped down as co-chair on 30 October 2017. James Nurthen was appointed co-chair on 30 March 2018.
Michael Cooper, ARIA WG Team Contact
Rich Schwerdtfeger, ARIA WG Chair
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$Date: 2018/09/06 14:13:46 $