PROPOSAL: Procedure to Promote Progress With Accessibility Issues in HTML5

To the HTML WG Co-Chairs and Working Group members:

The HTML5 Charter [1] states, "The HTML Working Group will cooperate
with the Web Accessibility Initiative to ensure that the deliverables
will satisfy accessibility requirements."

However, lack of collaboration with WAI groups to reach mutually
agreeable solutions has impeded making satisfactory accessibility
design decisions in the specification. To fulfill the Charter's
mandate and facilitate progress, the aforementioned statement must be
enacted.

To that end, we propose that the HTML working group adopt the
following statement as an official procedure and publish it in HTML
working group Web space.

Procedure to Promote Progress With Accessibility Issues in HTML5

Procedure Overview:

The HTML WG will look to the W3C WAI groups for guidance, listen to
their advice, and collaborate with them to reach mutually agreeable
accessibility solutions. Furthermore, collaboration will be promoted
in a pro-active manner, i.e., whenever possible, design features known
or foreseen to have an impact on accessibility will be explored and
discussed with the Protocols and Formats Working Group (PFWG) [2]
prior to decisions in order to ensure mutually beneficial resolution
of issues.

Collaboration Framework:

1. Approach issues on the basis of the shared goal of making HTML 5
the best solution for everyone, including people with disabilities.
2. Work from concrete issues as to what in HTML 5 needs to be improved
by asking PFWG to clearly identify accessibility functional
requirements and provide rationale.
3. Listen to their input, ask for clarification, and work together to
devise solutions to satisfy accessibility requirements.
4. Ask PFWG if proposed solutions meet accessibility requirements.
  * If they say no, ask what functionality is still needed and
continue the collaboration.
  * If they say yes, incorporate text for the mutually agreed upon
solution into the specification.

Collaboration Tools:

Tools to facilitate the procedure include but are not limited to:

* WAI XTECH Mailing List [3]
* PF's Caucus on HTML Issues Weekly Teleconference [4]
* Joint Task Forces/Ad Hoc Groups
* Joint Sessions at Face-to-Face Meetings
* HTML WG Teleconferences [5]
* W3C ESW Wiki [6]
* Tracker [7]

All interested parties, in particular HTML WG editors, are encouraged
to make use of these collaboration tools and opportunities.

Respectfully,

Laura L. Carlson <laura.lee.carlson@gmail.com>
Bruce Lawson <bruce@brucelawson.co.uk>
Catherine Roy <ecrire@catherine-roy.net>
Debi Orton <oradnio@gmail.com>
Gez Lemon <gez.lemon@gmail.com>
Jason White <jason@jasonjgw.net>
John Foliot <jfoliot@stanford.edu>
Leif Halvard Silli <lhs@malform.no>
Robert J Burns <rob@robburns.com>
Steve Faulkner <sfaulkner@paciellogroup.com>

[1] http://www.w3.org/2007/03/HTML-WG-charter.html#wai
[2] http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/
[3] http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/participation.html#Subscribin
[4] http://esw.w3.org/topic/PF/XTech/HTML5/Caucus
[5] http://esw.w3.org/topic/HTML/Teleconferences
[6] http://esw.w3.org/topic/HTML
[7] http://www.w3.org/html/wg/tracker

A copy of this proposal is also in the ESW Wiki at:
http://esw.w3.org/topic/HTML/AccessibilityIssueProcedure

--
Laura L. Carlson

Received on Sunday, 19 July 2009 11:05:51 UTC