W3C

[DRAFT] User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group Charter

The mission of the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (UAWG) is to produce guidelines for the development of accessible user agents (e.g., browsers, media players, mobile applications, etc.) and their interoperability with assistive technology: software that retrieves and renders Web content, including text, graphics, sounds, video, images, etc. In particular, the UAWG will publish the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 2.0 as a Working Group Note.

This mission is complementary to the work of other Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) groups.

Join the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group.

End date 31 March 2016
Confidentiality Proceedings are Public.
Initial Chairs Jim Allan
Initial Team Contacts
(FTE %: 45)		 Jeanne Spellman (40%)
Kenny Zhang (5%)
Usual Meeting Schedule Teleconferences: Weekly
Face-to-face: 1-2 per year

Scope

The UAWG's scope of work includes:

  1. Transform User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 2.0 to a Working Group Note. UAAG guides developers in designing user agents that make the web more accessible to people with disabilities. The process of transforming UAAG to a Note will include: dialog with browser vendors and users, identifying any approaches that need updating, and wrapping up additional comments.
  2. Complete development of UAAG 2.0 Reference: Explanations, Examples, and Resources for User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 as a Note. UAAG 2.0 Reference includes explanations, applicability, examples, resources, and tests for the UAAG 2.0 success criteria. The completion process will include response to comments, updates from changes to the UAAG 2.0 success criteria, and integration of the UAAG 2.0 tests from the UAWG wiki.
  3. Contribute user requirements and relevant user agent accessibility support needs to be included and addressed as part of the WAI 2020 Framework. This work will be done in coordination with WCAG WG.
  4. Develop UAAG 2.0 introductory and overview materials in cooperation with the EOWG.
  5. Transition more expertise to coordinated work with APA on reviewing specs on user agent issues.

The UAWG and ATAG Working Group charters are expected to expire in one year. A new Working Group that addresses uses cases, user needs, and guidelines for content, user agents, and authoring tools may be chartered to take the place of all three groups, in which case the WCAG Working Group would end its charter early.

Consistent with W3C Process requirements on Task Forces, the UAWG may form task forces composed of UAWG participants or join other W3C task forces to carry out assignments when under the chartered scope of UAWG. Any such task force must have a work statement (including objectives, communication, participation, and leadership) that has been announced on the UAWG mailing list, approved by the UAWG, and is available from the UAWG home page. UAWG task forces should produce requirements documents that outline the scope and expectations for work. Task forces may set up separate teleconferences and hold face-to-face meetings per the W3C process and with the approval of the UAWG.

Current UAWG Task Forces

Success Criteria

Deliverables

W3C Technical Reports

Other Deliverables

Milestones

Milestones
Note: The group will document significant changes from this initial schedule on the group home page.
Specification FPWD LC CR PR Rec Other publications
UAAG 2.0 Guidelines           Sept 2015
User requirements and other input to WAI 2020           Dec 2015
UAAG 2.0 Reference           Mar 2016

Timeline View Summary

Dependencies

W3C Groups

Participation

UAWG is expected to have 5 or more active participants for its duration, with participation where possible including representation from industry, disability communities, accessibility research and government. Effective participation in UAWG is expected to consume 6 hours per week for each participant; one day per week for editors.

Participants are reminded of the Good Standing requirements of the W3C Process.

Communication

Proceedings are Public. This group primarily conducts its work on the public mailing list w3c-wai-ua@w3.org (archive). The public mailing list public-uaag2-comments@w3.org (archive) is used for public feedback.

UAWG will coordinate directly with other WAI groups.

Information about the group (deliverables, participants, face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, etc.) is available from the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group home page.

Decision Policy

As explained in the Process Document (section 3.3), this group will seek to make decisions when there is consensus. When the Chair puts a question and observes dissent, after due consideration of different opinions, the Chair should record a decision (possibly after a formal vote) and any objections, and move on.

This charter is written in accordance with Section 3.4, Votes of the W3C Process Document and includes no voting procedures beyond what the Process Document requires.

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 User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group has been created according to section 6.2 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.

The UAWG was first chartered in December 1997. The UAWG was rechartered on 5 November 1999, 5 May 2000, 18 December 2001, 1 January 2005 and on 23 August 2010 (previous charter). Primary changes in this charter:

Jim Allan, Chair
Jeanne Spellman, Staff Contact

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