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Participation in the User Agent Working Group

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This page explains the requirements and procedures for becoming a participant in the UAWG. It also explains how non-participants may contribute to the Working Group by subscribing to the group's mailing list, monitoring the group's progress, and contributing on that list.

See also Participating in WAI for broader participation options throughout the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

Subscribing to the mailing list

If you would like to monitor the work of the User Agent Working Group and contribute on-line, you may subscribe to the mailing list. You will not be considered a participant in Good Standing (W3C term indicating that a participant is satisfying the participation requirements of the W3C Process and the Working Group's charter) but that does not limit your ability to comment and contribute. At a future date, if you wish to become a participant in Good Standing you will need to follow the steps outlined in "Becoming a participant in Good Standing."

To subscribe to the mailing list:

After these forms are processed, you will be subscribed to the w3c-wai-ua mailing list. The archives of this list are publicly available and can be read by anyone.

Becoming a participant in Good Standing

The following is an excerpt from the W3C Process document section 6.2.1.7 Good Standing in a Working Group

Participation in a Working Group on an ongoing basis implies a serious commitment to the charter, including all of the following:

Participation enables you to influence the development of the deliverables, and you and your organization will be listed as contributors to the deliverables of the UAWG where appropriate. Participant status, however, requires a commitment on your behalf to support the work of the group.

Participants are expected to observe the requirements of Section 6.2.1.7 of the Process Document ("Good Standing in a Working Group").

If you work for a W3C Member organization...

  1. Read the UAWG Charter.
  2. If you do not have a W3C Access Account login and password, complete the Member Access Request Form. You should receive your W3C login name and password within 2 business days.
  3. After you receive your W3C login name, ask your W3C Advisory Committee (AC) Representative to:

If you do not work for a W3C Member organization...

If you do not work for a W3C Member organization, but you feel you have the expertise and availability to participate, you may apply to become an Invited Expert.

  1. Read the UAWG Charter.
  2. Ensure that you can comply with the terms of the W3C Invited Expert and Collaborators Agreement
  3. If you do not have a W3C Access Account login and password, complete the Public Access Request Form. In the "Describe the specific purpose for this public access name and password" field, fill in: "To subscribe to the UAWG mailing list." You should receive your W3C login name and password within 2 business days.
  4. After you receive your W3C login name, complete the W3C Invited Expert Application. You should receive a reply within 10 business days.
  5. If you are accepted as an Invited Expert, you will receive confirmation with additional instructions.

Note: The UAWG is a public working group, and by participating you will not receive access to information that is W3C Member-confidential, unless you have been given privileges through participation in a separate Member-access W3C Working Group.