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WAI: Strategies, guidelines, resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities

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Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

Announcements

Events, Meetings, Presentations

[WAI Presentations]
[Past WAI Events]

Documents in Progress

The WAI Interest Group (WAI IG) page lists documents in progress, such as accessibility guidelines WAI-ARIA 1.0, UAAG 2.0, and ATAG 2.0.

Highlights

WCAG 2.1 under exploration

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group announces a plan to develop WCAG 2.1, which builds on but does not supersede WCAG 2.0. We request feedback as early as possible, and by 1 November 2016. (2016-10-12)

Updated October 2016: Understanding WCAG & WCAG Techniques

Updated supporting documents for WCAG 2.0 were published today: Techniques for WCAG 2.0 and Understanding WCAG 2.0. (This is not an update to WCAG 2.0, which is a stable document.) (2016-10-07)

Video Pages Updated: Perspectives on Web Accessibility -- Essential for Some, Useful for All

Web Accessibility Perspectives explores the impact of accessibility for people with disabilities and the benefits for everyone. This resource introduces 10 web accessibility topics with short videos, brief descriptions, and links to learn more. The videos relate the benefits of accessibility to everyone in different situations, and encourage viewers to learn more about web accessibility.

For links to playlists, request for specific feedback, and more information, see the Updated Video Pages e-mail. (2016-09-20)

For Review: WAI-ARIA Graphics Module, Graphics Accessibility API Mappings, and SVG Accessibility API Mappings

A First Public Working Draft of Graphics Accessibility API Mappings, along with updated Working Drafts of WAI-ARIA Graphics Module and SVG Accessibility API Mappings are available for review. Please send comments by 30 September 2016. (2016-09-08)

For Review: Final Working Draft of WAI-ARIA 1.1

A Working Draft of Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) 1.1 is available for review. This is intended to be the last Working Draft before the specification becomes a Candidate Recommendation. Please review to ensure this version is feature complete. Comments are requested by 26 August 2016. (2016-07-21)

WAI-ARIA 1.0 Authoring Practices and Primer retired

WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices 1.1 is the key support resource from the ARIA Working Group for content authors using Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA). The older draft WAI-ARIA 1.0 support resources have been retired: Authoring Practices and Primer. The content of those older documents in this publication has been removed and the Status section directs readers to the WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices 1.1. Content that is still relevant from the older resources has been migrated to and updated in the WAI-ARIA 1.1 Authoring Practices. For more information, see the WAI-ARIA 1.0 Authoring Practices and Primer retired email. (2015-07-14)

Updated: How to Meet WCAG 2.0: A customizable quick reference

We're excited about the shiny new version of How to Meet WCAG 2.0: A customizable quick reference to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 requirements (success criteria) and techniques. It has a more modern design and additional functionality to filter by Tags that are categorized under Developing, Interaction Design, Content Creation, and Visual Design. (The previous version is still available.) (2016-March-17)

WCAG-EM Report Tool: Accessibility Evaluation Report Generator

The WCAG-EM Report Tool: Website Accessibility Evaluation Report Generator is updated. The tool helps you generate website accessibility evaluation reports according to Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM). We encourage feedback on this version of the WCAG-EM Report Tool and suggestions for improvements for the next version. (2016-March-17)

Updated: Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool List

An updated version of the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools List is now available. Web accessibility evaluation tool vendors are encouraged to submit information about their tool to the list. (2016-March-17)

User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 and UAAG 2.0 Reference published as Working Group Notes

The User Agent Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (UAWG) has published User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG 2.0) and UAAG 2.0 Reference as W3C Working Group Notes. UAAG 2.0 defines how browsers, media players, and other “user agents” should support accessibility for people with disabilities and work with assistive technologies. Although W3C does not currently have plans to advance UAAG 2.0 to Recommendation, the need and opportunity to improve accessibility in user agents still exists. We hope that this work will be continued in future combined Guidelines group. UAAG 2.0 provides specific accessibility guidance for user agent developers who want to build a better user experience for all users. See the UAAG Published as Notes e-mail for additional info. (2015-Dec-15)

Media Accessibility User Requirements Working Group Note

Media Accessibility User Requirements has been published as a Working Group Note. For information on this publication, see the MAUR Note announcement e-mail and MAUR Note blog post. (2015-Dec-03)

Tips for Getting Started with Web Accessibility

Tips for Getting Started with Web Accessibility are designed to meet the needs of web developers, designers, writers, and others who want practical starting points for implementing web accessibility and WCAG 2.0 in their work. Three Tips pages are available now:

We welcome your input on improving these pages. Near the bottom of each page are links to GitHub and e-mail for comments. (2015-Oct-01)

ATAG 2.0 is a W3C Recommendation

The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 2.0 was published today as a completed web standard. ATAG provides guidelines for designing web content authoring tools that are both more accessible to authors with disabilities (Part A) and designed to enable, support, and promote the production of more accessible web content by all authors (Part B). Selecting authoring tools that conform to ATAG 2.0 can facilitate the process of creating accessible Web content, and can also remove barriers to content creation by people with disabilities. Implementing ATAG 2.0 has been published as a Working Group Note to provide additional explanation, examples and resources for the ATAG 2.0 success criteria. (2015-Sept-24)

Additional highlights are in the Highlights Archive.
WAI home page Highlights are edited by Shawn Henry, WAI's Education and Outreach Working Group, and other WAI Team and Working Groups.

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Validation Logos

Level Double-A conformance,
          W3C WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional Valid CSS!