Web Content Guidelines Charter (original) (raw)

Revised Charter: Web Content Guidelines Working Group

(GL WG)

Previously known as "WAI Markup Guidelines Working Group" and "WAI Page Author Guidelines Working Group"

1. Mission statement
2. Scope
3. Duration of work items
4. Deliverables to be produced
5. Dependencies of this group on other groups
6. Dependencies of other groups on this
7. Intended degree of Confidentiality
8. Relation to other groups
9. Milestones for work items & deliverables
10. Meeting mechanisms & schedules
11. Communication mechanisms
12. Level of involvement of Team
13. Estimate of time commitment a group member would have to make in order to participate.

1. Mission statement

This revised charter extends the duration of theWeb Content Guidelines Working Group(GL WG) to allow it to complete the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and to do initial post-Recommendation analysis of implementation issues and appropriate next steps in this area. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines focus on HTML, CSS, and XML, and provide guidance to Web content developers on how to make Web sites accessible to users with disabilities. This Working Group was originally chartered and a Call for Participation issued inOctober, 1997, and the group is within the duration, scope and resources of theWAI Activity Proposal and announcement. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Draft completed Last Call on March 19, 1999.

2. Scope

2.1 Scope of work items:

• producing a set of guidelines which is coordinated with other WAI guidelines;
• collecting, creating, and testing techniques which satisfy checkpoints and guidelines, and compiling these into a techniques document;
• promoting implementation of accessibility improvements in technology of the Web;
• analyzing implementation and impact of guidelines and recommending next steps;
• coordinating with related W3C activities as appropriate.

2.2 Criteria for success:

• wide adoption of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and Techniques;
• demonstration of increase in Web accessibility resulting from implementation of guidelines.

3. Duration of work items

The expected duration of the renewed Web Content Guidelines Working Group is eight months, through November 30, 1999.

4. Deliverables to be produced

1. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: A set of guidelines that clearly outlines the major principles for creating accessible Web content, and includes verifiable checkpoints for each guideline.
2. List of Checkpoints from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: A list of the verifiable checkpoints, arranged as a checklist.
3. Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: A set of specific techniques, coordinated with the guidelines, which explain how to satisfy each checkpoint. The Techniques document will be an on-going compilation, to be published as a Note rather than a Recommendation.

5. Dependencies of this group on other groups

This group develops guidelines which address how to implement HTML 4.0, CSS1 and CSS2, XML, SMIL, etc., in a manner that results in Web sites that are accessible. Coordination with W3C groups producing these specifications is through the WAI CG and through the WAI's participation in the Hypertext CG.

6. Dependencies of other groups on this

• WAI Education & Outreach Working Group: uses Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as basis for most of WAI promotion and dissemination work.
• WAI Authoring Tools Guidelines Working Group: uses Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as core of Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines.
• WAI User Agent Guidelines Working Group: must ensure that User Agent Accessibility Guidelines address how to render accessibility content specified in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
• WAI Evaluation & Repair Interest and Working Groups: develops evaluation & validation tools synchronized with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
• WAI Protocols & Formats Working Group: takes requirements for accessibility identified in this working group and negotiates these with the relevant W3C groups where appropriate.

7. Intended degree of Confidentiality

Group procedings, e-mail list, archives, charter, and deliverables are all public, as are the other WAI guidelines working groups.

8. Relation to other groups

The GL WG is related to other W3C groups as described in (5) and (6) above. In addition, external organizations such as ISO, IEEE, national governments, corporations, etc., may reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines; and externally developed tools such as CAST's "Bobby" may use the guidelines as the basis for their site evaluation protocols. Coordination with external groups referencing the guidelines is primarily through the WAI International Program Office. Coordination with CAST around implementation of the guidelines in site evaluation protocols is shared between this group and the WAI Evaluation and Repair Interest and Working Groups.

9. Milestones for work items & deliverables

• March, 1999: Proposed Recommendation expected for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and List of Checkpoints. (Last Call ended March 19, 1999).
• May, 1999: Recommendation expected for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and List of Checkpoints. Techniques document to be available as a draft Note at the same time.
• November, 1999: Analysis of implementation and recommendation for next steps.

10. Meeting mechanisms & schedules

• Primary meeting mechanism:w3c-wai-gl mailing list.
• Phone meetings weekly during Proposed Recommendation and bi-weekly during Post-Rec stage (has been weekly).
• Face-to-face meetings quarterly.

11. Communication mechanisms

• Communication within the group: as above at (10), and through WG home page
• Communication with W3C: coordination through WAI CG and Hypertext CG
• Communication with W3C Member organizations through Member newswire & newsletter
• Communication with the public through WAI Education & Outreach WG

12. Level of involvement of Team

• 15% Ian Jacobs - co-editor
• 5% Daniel Dardailler - staff contact
• 5% Judy Brewer
• 5% Charles McCathieNevile

13. Estimated time commitment a group member would have to make in order to participate

• minimum 4 hours per week
• must remain current on w3c-wai-gl list & respond in timely manner to postings
• must participate in bi-weekly phone meetings as scheduled or regrets to chair

March 22, Judy Brewer,Wendy Chisholm