Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG) Charter
This charter is written in accordance with Section
6.2.6 of the 5 February 2004 W3C
Process Document.
- Mission
- Scope
- Duration
- Deliverables
- Milestones
- Dependencies
- Confidentiality
- Meetings
- Communication
- Voting
- Patent Policy
- Participation
Information about participation in
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group is available.
The mission of the Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG) is to develop
guidelines to make Web content accessible for people with disabilities. In
particular, the WCAG WG will publish the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
2.0 as a W3C Recommendation.
This mission is complementary to the work of other Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) groups within the WAI Technical Activity and the WAI International Program Office Activity. The
WCAG WG is part of the WAI Technical Activity.
The WCAG WG was first chartered in August 1997 (charter) to produce WCAG 1.0 which became a W3C Recommendation in May
1999. The WCAG WG was rechartered in November 2000 (charter) to continue
W3C's work on guidelines for creating accessible Web content.The early history of this group is documented in the
"End of Charter Report for the Web
Content Guidelines Working Group." The group is being rechartered to
allow additional time for development of WCAG 2.0.
The WCAG WG's scope of work includes:
- Advance WCAG 2.0 to a W3C Recommendation
- Develop techniques for implementing the WCAG 2.0 in W3C Recommendations
(such as XHTML, SMIL, SVG, and MathML) as well as ECMAScript
- Develop a test suite for WCAG 2.0 in coordination
with other WAI Working Groups
- Document implementation testing experience of WCAG
2.0
Consistent with W3C
Process requirements on Task Forces, the WCAG WG may form task forces composed of WCAG WG
participants or join other W3C task forces to carry out assignments when
under the chartered scope of WCAG WG. Any such task force must have a work
statement (including objectives, communication, participation, and
leadership) that has been announced on the WCAG WG mailing list, approved by
the WCAG WG, and is available from the WCAG WG home page. WCAG WG 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 WCAG
WG.
The Working Group is scheduled for 24 months, from 1 January 2005 through
31 December 2006.
In January 2008, the duration of this charter was extended
to 30 June 2008 (Member-only link). In November 2008, the duration of
this charter was extended
to 31 December 2008 (Member-only link). In April 2009, the duration of
this charter was extended
to 30 June 2009 (Member-only link). In June 2010, the duration of this
charter was extended
to 9 August 2010 (Member-only link).
4.1 Planned deliverables
The WCAG WG will produce the following deliverables:
- Requirements for Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines 2.0, to be published as a W3C Working Group Note
- Requirements for WCAG 2.0
Checklists and Techniques, to be published as a W3C Working
Group Note
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, to
be published as a W3C Recommendation
- Techniques for Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, a package of documents to be published as
W3C Working Group Notes. The WCAG WG will produce these documents to
demonstrate applicability of WCAG 2.0 to a variety of technologies. The
WCAG WG does not expect them to be a comprehensive list of all techniques
and anticipates these documents will evolve over time.
- CSS Techniques for WCAG 2.0
- Cross-technology Techniques (working title: Gateway to Techniques
for WCAG 2.0)
- HTML Techniques for WCAG 2.0 (includes XHTML)
- SMIL Techniques for WCAG 2.0
- SVG Techniques for WCAG 2.0
- Techniques for Web applications, including client-side scripting
(working title: Scripting Techniques for WCAG 2.0)
- Techniques for server-side and metadata solutions (working title:
RDF Techniques for WCAG 2.0)
- XForms Techniques for WCAG 2.0
- Technology-specific checklists, to be published either as a W3C Working
Group Note or as a W3C Recommendation
- WCAG 2.0 test suite
- Documentation of open issues, resolutions, responses to comments, and
implementation reports and other artifacts of the W3C Process as
described in section 7.2
General Requirements for Advancement of the W3C Process document.
- Meeting minutes
4.2 QA Framework
The WCAG WG intends to produce deliverables conforming to the Quality
Assurance (QA) Framework developed by W3C's QA Activity.
All publishing milestones are approximate. (Note: The Techniques documents are being prepared by the Techniques Task Force of
the WCAG WG)
- 1Q 2005
- Begin operating under new charter
- Requirements for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft
- Requirements for WCAG 2.0 Checklists and Techniques Working
Draft
- WCAG 2.0 Test Suite
- WCAG 2.0 Last Call
- Checklist for Techniques for WCAG 2.0 Working Group Note or Last
Call
- Gateway to Techniques for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft
- HTML Techniques for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft
- CSS Techniques for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft
- Scripting Techniques for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft
- 2Q 2005
- WCAG 2.0 Candidate Recommendation
- Checklist for Techniques for WCAG 2.0 either Working Group Note or
Candidate Recommendation
- VoiceXML Techniques for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft #1
- RDF Techniques for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft #1
- SMIL Techniques for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft #1
- SVG Techniques for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft #1
- WCAG 2.0 Proposed Recommendation
- Checklist for Techniques for WCAG 2.0 either Working Group Note or
Proposed Recommendation
- 3Q 2005
- WCAG 2.0 Recommendation
- Checklist for Techniques for WCAG 2.0 either Working Group Note or
Recommendation
- Gateway to Techniques for WCAG 2.0 WG Note #3
- HTML Techniques for WCAG 2.0 WG Note #3
- CSS Techniques for WCAG 2.0 WG Note #3
- Scripting Techniques for WCAG 2.0 WG Note #3
- 4Q 2005
- implementation tracking for WCAG 2.0 and Techniques documents
- VoiceXML Techniques for WCAG 2.0 WG Note
- RDF Techniques for WCAG 2.0 WG Note #2
- SMIL Techniques for WCAG 2.0 WG Note #2
- SVG Techniques for WCAG 2.0 WG Note #2
- 1Q 2006
- implementation tracking for WCAG 2.0 and Techniques documents
- XForms Techniques for WCAG 2.0 WG Note
- 2Q 2006
- implementation tracking for WCAG 2.0 and Techniques documents
- updated Techniques Notes as needed
- 3Q 2006
- implementation tracking for WCAG 2.0 and Techniques documents
- updated Techniques Notes as needed
- 4Q 2006
- implementation tracking for WCAG 2.0 and Techniques documents
- updated Techniques Notes as needed
WCAG WG dependencies with WAI Working Groups and other W3C Groups
include:
- Authoring Tool Accessibility
Guidelines Working Group (AUWG) -- ensure that WCAG 2.0 reflects
correct interpretation and integration with ATAG 1.0 and ATAG 2.0,
coordinate on development of test files and test suites
- User Agent Accessibility Guidelines
Working Group (UAWG) -- ensure that WCAG 2.0 reflects correct
interpretation and integration with UAAG 1.0, coordinate on development
of test files and test suites
- Protocols and Formats Working Group (PFWG member page is also available) -- ensure
that WCAG 2.0 reflects correct interpretation and integration with XAG,
work with PFWG to provide input into other W3C groups on accessibility
requirements and to review WCAG 2.0 Techniques
- Evaluation and Repair Tools Working Group (ERT
WG) -- interpret and coordinate development of techniques for developers
of testing methodologies and tools, coordinate on development of test
files and test suites
- Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG) --
coordinate on making WCAG 2.0 usable by a wider audience, on developing
strategies and materials to increase awareness and to educate Web
community about WCAG 2.0, ensure WCAG 2.0 uses terms from WAI Glossary
properly, Historically, the EOWG has created business case information,
evaluation processes, curriculum, quick tips and other resources to
clarify the work of the WCAG WG.
- WAI Interest Group (WAI IG) -- send deliverables for review
- WAI Coordination Group (WAI CG) -- address questions on
dependencies
- Quality Assurance Working Group (QAWG) -- coordinate on ensuring
conformance with Quality Assurance (QA) Framework and test suite
development
- Other W3C Working Groups -
- ensure Techniques are in-line with technology specification,
- request review and contributions to techniques,
- determine if and how guidelines and success criteria are applicable
to W3C technologies
- External organizations -- solicit review comments from external
organizations that may reference WCAG 2.0 in policies and tools.
The WCAG WG is a public Working Group as defined by Section
4.1 of the W3C Process Document. The Working Group maintains a public
mailing list at w3c-wai-gl@w3.org.
- Distributed meetings every week
- Approximately three face-to-face meetings per year
9.1 Communication within group
9.2 Communication within W3C
9.3 Communication with public
The primary means of decision-making in the WCAG WG is consensus.
This charter is written in accordance with Section
3.4, Votes of the 5
February 2004 W3C Process Document. The Chair decides whether a quorum is
present for any Working Group meeting.
This Working Group operates under the 5 February 2004
W3C Patent Policy. 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.
12.1 Member and Invited Expert participation
The WCAG WG welcomes participation from W3C Member Organizations, and also invites
experts from disability organizations, accessibility researchers, assistive
technology developers, government organizations, and others interested in
promoting accessibility of Web content, subject to the W3C
Invited Expert policy.
Participants are expected to observe individual
participation criteria and maintain Good
Standing as defined in the W3C Process Document to ensure effective
consensus-building of the WCAG WG. For the WCAG WG, the following commitment
is expected to qualify for Good Standing:
- Minimum 4 hours per week, including meeting time and reading/responding
to mailing list
- Contribute to WCAG WG deliverables
- Remain current on w3c-wai-gl list (mailing list
archive) and respond in timely manner to postings on mailing list
- Participate in most weekly teleconferences of the WCAG WG (attending
only task force teleconferences and not Working Group teleconferences
does not meet this criteria)
- Participate in face-to-face meetings
- Remain aware of work in other WAI Working Groups
12.2 Subscribing to the mailing list or joining the group
Information about participation in
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group is available.
12.3 W3C Team participation
- 60% Wendy Chisholm -- co-editor, staff contact
- 5% Matt May
Last updated by Wendy Chisholm,
$Date: 2010/07/07 21:12:43 $