Introduction

In January 2017, the W3C Accessibility Guidelines Working Group was chartered by the W3C membership to produce Requirements for Accessibility Guidelines 3.0. These guidelines are expected to be the successor to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Since it is anticipated that the scope of the guidelines will be greater than web content, they will not be named WCAG. Until a more appropriate name is selected, the project is designated as Silver. The Silver Task Force was formed to perform preliminary research and create prototypes for a new approach to accessibility guidelines. In March of 2017, the Silver Community Group was formed to facilitate greater public contribution to the Requirements.

The Task Force first identified 31 stakeholder roles (see Appendix A for the list of Stakeholder roles) representing the range of users of accessibility guidelines. The Silver Community Group created Job Stories for each of the stakeholder roles.

In user-centered design, key artifacts of Personas and User Stories advise design solutions by focusing on a specific user or user segment. This process can unintentionally be exclusive. A more inclusive methodology is use-centered design, which focuses instead on the task(s) to complete or jobs-to-be-done – regardless of or agnostic to the specific user or user segment. In other words, inherently all users. A Job Story is a framework of use-centered design that identifies a situation, motivation and expectation.

A Job Story is a framework for use-centered design that focuses on the task(s) to complete or jobs to be done. A stakeholder for this context is the presumed role of an individual who needs to access and use {Silver} accessibility guidelines. Each job story reflects one unique and presumed high priority task for the given stakeholder. Due to the nature of some roles, more than one job story may be illustrated – as additional list items.

{Silver} is used to note the collective work that is planned to be the successor of WCAG.

Key Activities

Consult, make policy, use policy, make content, teach, research, make standards, make decisions, help people with disabilities, beneficiary of standards, communicate, measure, test

Key Tasks

browse, learn, review, verify, teach, compare, quote, cite, share, embed, contribute, translate, bookmark, print, settle dispute, enforce, incorporate in product requirements and test cases

Accessibility consultant/advisor

1. When preparing to pitch a new client, I want to refresh my working knowledge of {Silver}, so I can dramatically increase the odds of being awarded the work.
2. When working with a client that has settled a lawsuit via structured negotiation, I want to thoroughly review criteria, so I can ensure compliance with {Silver} and with the settlement.

Accessibility designer

1. When selecting a color palette, I want to confirm only applicable {Silver} criteria, so I can account for all scenarios.
2. When writing and designing for help, I want to confirm {Silver} guidelines for prevention, description and remedy, so I can design a great experience.

Accessibility developer

1. When developing for offline support, I want to fully understand browser’s accessibility feature support and applicable {Silver} success criteria, so I can ensure conformance with no additional https requests.
   When writing HTML, I want to review the {Silver} guidelines around forms, so I can ensure conformance and best support AT.

Accessibility influencer

1. When an accessibility issue goes viral, I want to capitalize on the momentum and reach, so I can drive traffic and adoption to the {Silver} standards.

Accessibility specialist/helper/org

1. When {Silver} is published, I want to study it in entirety, so I can renew certification.
2. When my organization is conducting business development or market outreach, I want to cite specific elements of {Silver} that we specialize in, so I can add relevance and value to the messaging.

AT developer

1. When updating an AT browser plugin for replacing color schemes, I want to understand all of the applicable {Silver} criteria for color, so I can ensure the product is forward compatible as the browser ships.
2. When writing requirements for an OS accessibility feature, I want to understand the highest level of applicable criteria, so I can deliver enhancements that exceed them.

Authoring tool developer

1. When scoping new work, I want to compare the default input UI of the CMS to {Silver} criteria, so I can determine if custom inputs will be required.
2. When writing output criteria for images and media, I want to cite specific {Silver} success criteria, so I can ensure that the CMS maps all required attributes, roles and values to each asset.

Call center representative

1. When assisting an AT user with an access issue, I want to quickly reference what {Silver} describes about the issue in question, so I can verify if the issue should be logged as a failing a criteria.

Chief Accessibility Officer

1. When planning my product roadmap, I want to cite specific {Silver} references for my team, so I can ensure understanding from all stakeholders.
2. When planning my human resource needs, I want to understand the complexity and skill level required for proficiency with {Silver}, so I can hire and train accordingly.

Content provider/producer

1. When I add images to our CMS, I want to automate the provision of appropriate Alt text values and figure captions that meet {Silver} guidelines, so I can minimize documentation shared with developers and increase efficiency.
2. When I create and publish video, I want to ensure the transcription and captioning is correctly formatted and enabled, so I can comply with our organization’s policy on {Silver} support.

Designer [accessibility novice]

1. When challenged by internal stakeholder, I want to browse {Silver} criteria for color, so I can understand the recommendations and determine what changes are required.

Developer [accessibility novice]

1. When writing critical CSS, I want to learn the {Silver} success criteria around performance and first-paint, so I can consider conformance within my performance budget.
2. When writing HTML, I want to browse the {Silver} guidelines around semantics and document structure, so I can improve the quality of my code.

Disability organization

1. When {Silver} is published, I want to understand all guidelines that apply to the {particular disability} focus of our organization, so I can address any gaps and advocate for greater {particular disability} support.

Evaluation tool developer

1. When {Silver} is published, I want to thoroughly understand all success criteria that can be objectively and quantifiably be measured, so I can ship a useful and valuable product.

Government policy regulator or specialist

1. When an accessibility complaint comes to my office, I want to ensure that the particular issue or barrier is addressed by {Silver} to include in the case.
2. When Title II and III of the ADA return to the active list of the Unified Regulatory Agenda, I want to ensure {Silver} can be leveraged to support them, so I can propose language for enforcement measures.

Influencer in disabilities

1. When speaking at an event, I want to teach the audience about {Silver} guidelines, so I can reassure the audience that cognitive and neurological impairments and concerns are well documented and addressed.
2. When advocating the use of audio description, I want to quote relevant {Silver} guidelines, so I can build a strong case for blind audience experience.

Instructor/trainer

1. When considering renewing certification as a credential, I want to review {Silver} guidelines, so I can determine the degree of change and subsequent value of renewal.
2. When instructing a group of designers, I want to guide the audience through a review of relevant {Silver} guidelines, so I can enlighten them, and reassure ease of use as a regular resource.

IT manager

1. When triaging a large spike in defect ticket volume, I want to review {Silver} criteria, so I can determine importance, priority and appropriate resources for remediation effort.

Lawyer

1. When working with a client that is the plaintiff in a lawsuit, I want to obtain explicit criteria language, so I can illustrate and exhibit technical compliance failures.
2. When working with a client that is the defendant in a lawsuit, I want to obtain explicit legal language, so I can defend my client or successfully enter into structured negotiation.

Organizational policy

1. When prioritizing policy decision, I want to fully understand the impact of {Silver} on unique audiences, so I can consider the audience size and qualifiers of conformance.
2. When creating training material, I want to cite {Silver} guidelines, so I can capture them as explicit review questions.

People with disabilities

1. When I encounter a site that I cannot navigate, I want to understand what {Silver} states about my explicit problem, so I can cite the guideline when filing a complaint.
2. When I feel discriminated against, I want to ensure I understand the intended support in {Silver} for my disability, so I can share my experience.

Platform developer (hardware, os, browser)

1. When reviewing the issue log of platform status for [browser], I want to verify that the issue correctly states the {Silver} success criteria, so I can confirm the issue and assign it.
2. When delivering platform updates of [OS] that exceed {Silver} guidelines, I want to review governance and WG comments and reports, so I can contribute to {Silver}.

Product manager

1. When planning development sprints, I want to understand the ideal order of operations for conforming to {Silver}, so I can keep the sprints manageable and avoid duplicate or re-work.
2. When faced with an access issue logged by a customer, I want to quickly learn what suggestions are provided by {Silver} for the particular issue, so I can resolve the issue before the complaint becomes a lawsuit.

Professional/Industry Org/Assoc

1. When {Silver} reaches recommendation status, I want to translate {Silver} in all the supported languages of the organization, so I can advocate across the widest audience possible.
2. When writing educational information for my members, I want to explain how the {Silver} requirements apply to my members.

Project manager

1. When client requests that their web application meets their accessibility requirements, I want to compare their requirements with {Silver}, so I can determine if there are any special criteria our development team needs to be aware of outside of {Silver}.

QA specialist

1. When writing test cases for accessibility, I want to review {Silver} guidelines, so I can determine which criteria can be tested automatically.
2. When logging issues for failing test cases, I want to cite {Silver} guidelines in context to the issue, so I can ensure they are written to pass both business and accessibility criteria.

Researcher

1. When writing survey questions for a policy and regulatory audience, I want to understand {Silver} conformance, so I can ensure it is accurately addressed.
2. When conducting research with an audience with a particular disability, I want to understand the relevant {Silver} guidelines, so I can be inclusive to their concerns.

Standards developer

1. When research provides new insights on how users on the autism spectrum use voice search, I want to confirm if {Silver} guidelines for voice are aligned, so I can contribute recommendations for any gaps to future iterations.

Teaching resource developer

1. When {Silver} reaches recommendation status, I want to review the current courseware and compare to {Silver}, so I can determine if new pedagogical methods should be applied in addition to technical updates to current material.
2. When {Silver} is published, I want to identify variance from previous WCAG specifications, so I can revise certification criteria and exam.

Technology innovator

1. When a new input method and supporting API becomes available, I want to understand if any {Silver} criteria apply, so I can decide whether or not to support the method.
2. When mapping environments for an AR experience, I want to review all relevant guidelines in {Silver}, so I can determine if any criteria apply for mobility in addition to sensory.

W3C Accessibility Guidelines Working Group

1. When a disability advocacy group illustrates a reasonable gap in {Silver}, I want to review the governance model and opportunity for public comment, so I can respond to the concerns of the group and provide any process direction.
2. When {Silver} reaches recommendation status, I want to appropriately archive all of research that was made available during the editor phase, so I can close all open items and propose any revisions to the working group charter for future work.