Reconsidering our Decision Policy

Colleagues:

Several of you recently raised the concern that we have not been
confirming our comments on other Working Group's documents through the
CfC mechanism specified by our Decision Policy, available at:

http://www.w3.org/WAI/APA/decision-policy

As noted on several calls since this question was first raised, I have
agreed with this criticism and promised we would take up a
reconsideration of our formal Decision Policy in order to document an
agreement regarding this question.

The assumption here is that we don't want to burden ourselves with CfC
calls unnecessarily. Clearly, the operative term here relates to
necessity. Often our comments to other groups are frankly basic
accessibility guidance long established and well known, e.g. provide alt
for graphics, textual descriptions for complex graphics, etc.

I would like to propose the following additional language for our
Decision Policy to explain when we do, and do not require a CfC, and as
a starting point to clarify our process. This is an early draft for your
consideration on list here, and in our upcoming teleconferences.

Draft Decision Policy Addendum

Not all APA dicisions require a formal CfC.

A CfC is required whenever APA requests changes to normative language in a
W3C specification.

A formal CfC is not required when APA resolves to send comments to a W3C
group:

*	On nonnormative language in their publication

*	When APA's comments reflect well established accessibility best
*	practices guidance.

*	When there is no substantive disagreement in APA on the
*	changes sought. For this purpose discussion of how best to
*	present APA's comments does not constitute substantive
*	disagreement.

In all cases, whether or not a CfC is relied on, the substance of
comments must be fairly summarized in 
APA email archives, and supported by a RESOLUTION: adopted during an APA
teleconference or face to face meeting.

While APA members are free to voice their views to any W3C group, such
comments are not to be represented or construed as formal APA comments
without URI reference to the relevant APA RESOLUTION.




-- 

Janina Sajka,	Phone:	+1.443.300.2200
			sip:janina@asterisk.rednote.net
		Email:	janina@rednote.net

Linux Foundation Fellow
Executive Chair, Accessibility Workgroup:	http://a11y.org

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures	http://www.w3.org/wai/apa

Received on Tuesday, 19 July 2016 20:21:57 UTC