WAI Technical Activity Statement
The Web Accessibility
Initiative (WAI) Technical Activity addresses barriers to Web
accessibility on several levels. First, it seeks to ensure that the full range
of core technologies of the Web, from HTML to the Semantic Web, is accessible.
Barriers exist when these technologies lack features needed by users with
visual, auditory, physical, cognitive or neurological disabilities; or when the
accessibility potential in the technology is not implemented in Web content or
applications. The WAI Technical Activity coordinates closely with the WAI International Program
Office, which focuses on WAI education and outreach, research and
development, and overall coordination of WAI activities.
The WAI Technical Activity reviews accessibility support across all W3C
specifications, and develops the WAI-ARIA suite of resources for making Rich
Internet Applications accessible through the work of the Protocols and Formats
Working Group (PFWG). The WAI Technical Activity promotes implementation of
accessibility improvements in Web technologies through development of a set of
three WAI guidelines as Recommendations: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG), and Authoring Tool
Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG). These guidelines describe features needed to
achieve different levels of accessibility, and include reference checklists and
implementation techniques. The WAI Technical Activity also develops techniques
to improve tools for evaluation and repair of Web sites through the work of the
Evaluation and Repair Tools Working Group (ERT WG).
Highlights Since the Previous Advisory Committee Meeting
Since the previous W3C Advisory Committee Meeting in June 2013, the WAI Technical Activity accomplished the following through its five Working Groups.
- Continued work on ARIA 1.1 feature development.
- Published WAI-ARIA 1.1 and Core Accessibility API Mappings 1.1 as First Public Working Drafts.
- Published an updated Working Draft of Media Accessibility User Requirements.
- Continued review of W3C Last Call Working Drafts, and dialog with other W3C Working Groups to address accessibility issues in W3C specifications where needed. Reviewed and in some cases sent comments on specifications, and addressed feedback received.
- Continued regular review of new Community and Business Groups to help ensure that accessibility issues are considered from the beginning. Many groups previously tracked turned out never to have begun work. The PFWG now waits three months after creation before determining its interest in a specific Community Group.
- The joint Cognitive Accessibility Task Force with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group, collected research on various types of cognitive and learning disabilities, in order to expand the gap analysis in current guideline support.
HTML Accessibility Task Force (HTML A11y TF), a joint Task Force with the HTML Working Group (HTML WG):
- AUWG has developed support documents for ATAG 2.0 Candidate Recommendation testing.
- AUWG has prepared an ATAG CR training program for people who will be testing ATAG 2.0 CR.
- AUWG has kept in close coordination with the effort to develop a test harness for CR testing of ATAG. The test harness is close to complete and we expect testing to begin in October.
Upcoming Activity Highlights
Protocols and Formats Working Group
- Publish First Public Working Draft of HTML Accessibility API Mappings 1.1 and SVG Accessibility API Mappings 1.1.
- Publish First Public Working Draft of WAI-ARIA 1.1 Requirements.
- Publish updated Working Drafts of WAI-ARIA 1.1 and Core Accessibility API Mappings 1.1.
- Publish initial deliverables of the Cognitive Accessibility Task Force.
- Continue review and dialog on accessibility issues in W3C Working
Drafts.
- Continue to monitor Community Groups and other relevant activity that
impacts accessibility.
HTML A11y TF
- Publish a W3C Recommendation of HTML Image Description Extension (
longdesc).
- Publish Media Accessibility User Requirements as a Working Group Note.
- Continue work on HTML to Platform Accessibility APIs Implementation Guide and Using WAI-ARIA in HTML.
- Identify the accessibility requirements and manage the progress of accessibility solutions in HTML5.1
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group:
- Continue to document additional techniques for WCAG 2.0, primarily focused on HTML 5 and WAI-ARIA.
- Respond to public comments on WCAG 2.0 and support materials.
- Publish updated versions of Understanding WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.0 Techniques.
- Continue to explore gap analysis and potential requirements for future content authoring guidelines.
- Coordinate with other groups to support understanding and implementation
of WCAG 2.0.
- Improve the effectiveness of How to Meet WCAG 2.0, also known as the
Quick Reference.
Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines Working Group:
- AUWG will test Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 2.0 as part of Candidate Recommendation with the implementations already identified and new implementations identified during the Candidate Recommendation period.
- AUWG will work with the Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG) to develop promotional and support materials in preparation for Recommendation phase.
User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group:
- UAWG will write the test cases for UAAG 2.0
- UAWG will continue to process comments on the Last Call
- UAWG will continue identifying implementation examples of the UAAG 2.0 success criteria
- UAWG will continue to contribute to the Mobile Accessibility Task Force
Evaluation and Repair Tools Working Group:
Independent User Interface Working Group:
- Publish updated Working Drafts of IndieUI: Events 1.0, Indie UI: User Context 1.0, and Requirements for IndieUI: Events 1.0.l
- Continue preparation of test cases for Indie UI, execute tests, and record results.
- Coordinate with the Web Applications Working Group on joint requirements.
- Identify technology features developed by other W3C Working Groups that could meet IndieUI requirements to avoid unnecessary feature duplication.
Summary of Activity Structure
This Activity Statement was prepared for TPAC 2014 per section 5
of the W3C Process Document.
Generated
from group data.
Judy Brewer, WAI Technical
Activity Lead
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