The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

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The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

• Inclusive learning through technology
• Damien French

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Lecture aim

• To introduce the W3C and the work of the W3C Web
  Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
• To briefly introduce web accessibility as part of
  this.

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W3C

• The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the main
  international standards organisation for the
  Web. 
• Ensures compatibility and agreement among
  industry members in the adoption of new
  standards.
• In cooperation with the Internet Engineering Task
  Force (IETF), The International Organization for
  Standardization (ISO) and the International
  Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) .

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W3C/IETF

• TCP/IP and Internet protocol suite (IETF).
• HTML, XHTML, XML, DOM, SOAP and many others (W3C).

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W3C Process

• Members / team generate interest in a topic and a
  workshop held and/or discussion on an Advisory
  Committee mailing list.
• Director announces proposal for a new activity or
  working group charter.
• Includes working groups, interest groups and
  possibly coordination groups to carry out the
  work.

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W3C Process

• Participants include member representatives,
  invited experts and team representatives.
• Specifications and guidelines undergo cycles of
  revision and review as they advance to W3C
  Recommendation status.

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W3C principles

• Web for all.
• Web Accessibility Initiative.
• Internationalisation.
• Mobile Web for Social Development.
• Web on everything.
• Web of devices.
• Mobile web initiative.
• Browsers and other agents.

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Web for all

• The social value of the Web is that it enables
  human communication, commerce, and opportunities
  to share knowledge. One of W3Cs primary goals is
  to make these benefits available to all people,
  whatever their hardware, software, network
  infrastructure, native language, culture,
  geographical location, or physical or mental
  ability.

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WAI mission and organization

• WAI develops
• Guidelines widely regarded as the international
  standard for Web accessibility.
• Support materials to help understand and
  implement Web accessibility.
• Resources, through international collaboration.

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WAI Groups

• Authoring Tools Working Group (AUWG)
• Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG)
• Evaluation Tools Working Group (ERT WG)
• Protocols Formats Working Group (PFWG)
• Research and Development Interest Group (RDIG)
• User Agent Working Group (UAWG)
• WAI Interest Group (WAI IG)
• Web Content Working Group (WCAG WG)
• WAI Coordination Group (member only) .

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WAI Technical Activity

• Reviews accessibility support across all W3C
  specifications.
• Develops the WAI-ARIA suite of resources for
  making Rich Internet Applications accessible.
• Works through the Protocols and Formats Working
  Group (PFWG).

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WAI Technical Activity

• Also promotes implementation of accessibility
  improvements in Web technologies.
• Develops WAI guidelines as Recommendations.

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WAI Technical Activity

• The guidelines describe accessibility 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).

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Web Accessibility
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Web accessibility

• Web accessibility means that people with
  disabilities can use the Web.
• It means that people with disabilities can
  perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with
  the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web.
  Web accessibility also benefits others,
  including older people with changing abilities
  due to aging.

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Web accessibility

• Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities
  that affect access to the Web, including visual,
  auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and
  neurological disabilities.

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Web accessibility

• Web accessibility also benefits people without
  disabilities.
• Includes designing Web sites and software that
  are flexible to meet different user needs,
  preferences, and situations.
• Benefits people such as those using a slow
  Internet connection, people with temporary
  disabilities such as a broken arm, and people
  with changing abilities due to aging.

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Why is it important?

• The Web is an increasingly important resource in
  many aspects of life education, employment,
  government, commerce, health care, recreation,
  and more.
• Accessibility provides equal access and equal
  opportunity to people with disabilities.
• An accessible Web can also help people with
  disabilities more actively participate in
  society.
• Web accessibility is often required by law.

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Components of web accessibility

• Content. 
• Including text, images, and sounds, code or
  markup that defines structure, presentation.
• Web browsers, media players, and other user
  agents.
• Assistive technology.
• Screen readers, alternative keyboards, switches,
  scanning software, etc.
• Users knowledge, experiences, and adaptive
  strategies using the Web.

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Components of web accessibility

• Developers. 
• Designers, coders, authors, etc., including
  developers with disabilities and users who
  contribute content.
• Authoring tools.
• Software that creates Web sites.
• Evaluation tools.
• Web accessibility evaluation tools, HTML
  validators, CSS validators, etc.

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Guidelines for components

• Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 
• Addresses authoring tools.
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 
• Addresses Web content, and is used by developers,
  authoring tools, and accessibility evaluation
  tools.
• User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 
• Addresses Web browsers and media players,
  including some aspects of assistive technologies.

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Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

• 12 guidelines.
• Organised under 4 principles.
• Perceivable.
• Operable.
• Understandable.
• Robust.

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Perceivable

• Provide text alternatives for non-text content.
• Provide captions and alternatives for audio and
  video content.
• Make content adaptable and make it available to
  assistive technologies.
• Use sufficient contrast to make things easy to
  see and hear.

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Operable

• Make all functionality keyboard accessible.
• Give users enough time to read and use content.
• Do not use content that causes seizures.
• Help users navigate and find content.

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Understandable

• Make text readable and understandable.
• Make content appear and operate
  in predictable ways.
• Help users avoid and correct mistakes.

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Robust

• Maximize compatibility with current and future
  technologies.

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The WCAG 2.0 Documents
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