WCAG Techniques and Understanding WCAG Updates

We've got another update to the WCAG 2.0 supporting documents for your review:

• Techniques for WCAG 2.0 (Editors' Draft)
• Understanding WCAG 2.0 (Editors' Draft)

WCAG 2.0 itself is a stable document that does not change. The WCAG guidelines and success criteria are designed to be broadly applicable to current and future web technologies, including dynamic applications, mobile, digital television, etc. The supporting resources provide specific guidance — including code examples, resources, and tests — and are updated periodically to cover current practices for meeting WCAG.

Some of the updates in these drafts provide important clarifications on the role of techniques. The new Understanding Techniques for WCAG Success Criteria section explains that W3C's techniques are informative and are not intended to be required. It reiterates that the basis for determining conformance to WCAG 2.0 is the success criteria from the WCAG 2.0 standard (not the techniques). It points to cautions against requiring the only W3C's published techniques under What would be the negative consequences of allowing only W3C's published techniques to be used for conformance to WCAG 2.0? in the WCAG 2 FAQ.

These drafts include clarifications in existing techniques for different technologies. Note that publication of techniques for a specific technology does not imply that the technology can be used in all cases to create accessible content that meets WCAG 2.0. Developers need to be aware of the limitations of specific technologies and ensure that they provide content in a way that is accessible to all their potential users.

Some of the updates clarify how WCAG can apply in different situations and they help set the foundation for future work on techniques for HTML5, WAI-ARIA, and mobile accessibility.

Updating and expanding these WCAG supporting documents is on-going work. Can you help?

• You can comment on these drafts (preferably by 15 August) via the web form or e-mail listed in the Instructions for Commenting on WCAG 2.0 Documents.
• You can send in your ideas for new techniques via the Techniques for WCAG 2.0 submission form.
• You can actively participate in the WCAG Working Group, writing and reviewing new techniques.

Finally, a big thanks to the WCAG Working Group and all who have contributed to providing updated techniques for and understanding of WCAG 2.0.

p.s. A draft new Introduction to How to Meet WCAG 2.0: A customizable quick reference... (draft) is also available for review.