Re: reading levels in WCAG: not aligned with the ISO plain language standard

Just to answer your last question first: yes, emails copied to that 
address get publicly archived at 
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-agwg-comments/

To get the ball rolling, would you mind briefly outlining where you're 
seeing problems/issues with the current normative wording of 
https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/#reading-level and/or the informative 
(non-normative) explanation at 
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/reading-level.html ? Or 
where you'd see opportunities for closer harmonisation with the ISO 
standard?

Thanks,

Patrick


On 06/06/2026 23:26, G. Spivak wrote:
> Thanks, Partick.
> 
> This came up at a recent meeting we had in France, during the ISO 
> Technical Committee 37 meetings.
> 
> I've copied Angelika Vaasa, who is the convener of working group 11, 
> which is in charge of ISO's plain language standard (underTechnical 
> Committee 37).
> 
> I've also copied Dr Karen Schriver, who is an expert in usability and 
> readability formulas. She is also on working group 11 and was part of 
> the discussions about this at the meeting.
> 
> Does copying the public-agwg-comments@w3.org <mailto:public-agwg- 
> comments@w3.org> email address make this email exchange appear on a 
> public website?
> 
> Gael
> 
> On Sat, Jun 6, 2026 at 2:20 PM Patrick H. Lauke <redux@splintered.co.uk 
> <mailto:redux@splintered.co.uk>> wrote:
> 
>     Sorry for the late reply, but I'd be happy and interested to discuss in
>     more detail what we could do in WCAG 2.x here.
> 
>     Thanks,
> 
>     Patrick
> 
>     On 31/03/2026 11:18, Kevin White wrote:
>      > Hi Gael,
>      >
>      > Thank you for bringing up this point. I have CC’d this to the
>     archived
>      > mailing list for comments regarding WCAG and other AGWG maintained
>      > resources.
>      >
>      > You may also wish to raise specific issues related to this topic
>     within
>      > the WCAG2 repo <https://github.com/w3c/wcag/issues <https://
>     github.com/w3c/wcag/issues>>.
>      >
>      > The main group that deals with the maintenance of WCAG 2 is the
>     WCAG 2
>      > Backlog Task Force <https://www.w3.org/groups/tf/wcag2x-backlog/
>     <https://www.w3.org/groups/tf/wcag2x-backlog/>>. I
>      > have CC’d the group facilitators and staff contact.
>      >
>      > As one of the liaisons with ISO, I would be happy to explore the
>     scope
>      > of any meeting in the first instance.
>      >
>      > Thanks
>      >
>      > Kevin
>      >
>      > Accessibility Guidelines Team Contact
>      > Senior Principal Accessibility Specialist
>      > W3C
>      >
>      >> On 27 Mar 2026, at 13:42, G. Spivak <gspivak@gmail.com
>     <mailto:gspivak@gmail.com>> wrote:
>      >>
>      >> Hi there.
>      >>
>      >> I'm not sure if this is the right email address to ask about
>     working
>      >> this out with WCAG. If not, can you please point me in the
>      >> right direction?
>      >>
>      >> I'm wondering if there is a possibility of the WCAG drafting team
>      >> discussing its guidance on reading levels <https://www.w3.org/
>     TR/ <https://www.w3.org/TR/>
>      >> WCAG22/#reading-level> with the people who wrote the ISO plain
>      >> language standard <https://www.iso.org/standard/78907.html
>     <https://www.iso.org/standard/78907.html>>. So that
>      >> we can align the clear writing part of WCAG with the plain language
>      >> standard.
>      >>
>      >> Starting points:
>      >> - a blog post <https://nos-langues.canada.ca/en/blogue-blog/
>     <https://nos-langues.canada.ca/en/blogue-blog/>
>      >> readability-formulas-eng> I wrote on the issues with
>     readability formulas
>      >> - an analysis of the ISO plain language standard <https://
>      >> www.iplfederation.org/word-choice/ <http://
>     www.iplfederation.org/word-choice/>> that shows only 7% of it is even
>      >> about words
>      >>
>      >> If this is of interest, but we should do it through ISO, I can
>     put you
>      >> in touch with the convener of the ISO working group that drafts the
>      >> plain language standards (we've done 4 parts to it and are
>     working on
>      >> Part 5).
>      >>
>      >> Gael
>      >>
>      >> --
>      >> Gael Spivak (she/elle)
>      >>
>      >>   * Editors Canada <https://www.editors.ca/ <https://
>     www.editors.ca/>> member and former president
>      >>   * Member of ISO Technical Committee 37 <https://www.iso.org/
>     <https://www.iso.org/>
>      >>     committee/48104.html> (working group 11: plain language)
>      >>   * Chair of the Localization and Implementation Committee (for the
>      >>     ISO plain language standard), International Plain Language
>      >>     Federation <http://iplfederation.org/ <http://
>     iplfederation.org/>>
>      >>     <http://iplfederation.org/ <http://iplfederation.org/>>
>      >>   * PLAIN <http://plainlanguagenetwork.org/ <http://
>     plainlanguagenetwork.org/>>member
>      >>   * Indigenous Editors Association <https://
>      >> www.indigenouseditorsassociation.com/ <http://
>     www.indigenouseditorsassociation.com/>> non-Indigenous member
>      >>   * Language Portal of Canada <https://www.noslangues- <https://
>     www.noslangues->
>      >> ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/ <http://ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/>> ambassador
>      >>
>      >> Name pronunciation: Gale (like the wind) SPEE-vak
>      >> /
>      >> /
>      >> /I //would like to acknowledge that I live and work in the
>     territory
>      >> of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, who have lived here for
>     millennia./
>      >>
>      >>
>      >
> 
>     -- 
>     Patrick H. Lauke
> 
>     * https://www.splintered.co.uk/ <https://www.splintered.co.uk/>
>     * https://github.com/patrickhlauke <https://github.com/patrickhlauke>
>     * https://flickr.com/photos/redux/ <https://flickr.com/photos/redux/>
>     * https://mastodon.social/@patrick_h_lauke <https://mastodon.social/
>     @patrick_h_lauke>
> 

-- 
Patrick H. Lauke

* https://www.splintered.co.uk/
* https://github.com/patrickhlauke
* https://flickr.com/photos/redux/
* https://mastodon.social/@patrick_h_lauke

Received on Sunday, 7 June 2026 15:30:48 UTC