- From: Philippe Le Hégaret <plh@w3.org>
- Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:42:38 -0400
- To: public-review-comments@w3.org
Quoted from https://www.w3.org/wbs/33280/ag-wg-charter-2026/results/ [[ [Org] supports rechartering the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group and agrees that this work must continue on the W3C Recommendation track, within this Working Group, where member organizations can commit resources and participate in the technical debate required before publication. That said, [Org] has significant concerns about accountability and pace, and we believe the proposed charter does not provide sufficient structure to ensure meaningful progress during this charter period. We are requesting the following changes before the charter is approved. 1. Conformance: Clear deadline needed The 2023 AGWG charter committed that "in this charter period, AG WG will define a working conformance model for WCAG 3." That commitment was not met. The current WCAG 3 project schedule (https://github.com/w3c/wcag3/wiki/Schedule) still lists "Finalize conformance model" as a deliverable for April–June 2026 — a deadline that is about to pass. Conformance has been the central unresolved problem blocking progress on WCAG 3 for years. We are pleased that the Working Group is now actively engaging with this topic, and we want to support that momentum — not undermine it. But without a firm, charter-level commitment, there is no external pressure to bring this work to closure. [Org] requests that the charter include an explicit requirement that the Working Group publish a W3C Group Note on the WCAG 3 conformance model, including responding to public review, no later than Q4 2026. This is achievable given the work already in progress, and it would provide a concrete, reviewable artifact that the broader community — including policy makers, users, and implementers — can help guide the group’s work on WCAG 3.0. 2. Scope freeze date for provisions The proposed charter does not include any mechanism to prevent new provisions from being added to the WCAG 3.0 draft indefinitely. In our view, the absence of a scope freeze is a structural cause of the delays to date: as new guidelines are added, the completion horizon continues to recede. This has been exacerbated by the confusion related to conformance. [Org] requests that the charter include a date — we suggest Q2 2027 — after which no new normative provisions may be added to the WCAG 3.0 draft without the group explicitly deferring an existing provision or creating a separate WCAG 3.1 track. This is consistent with how other major specification efforts have managed scope creep. 3. Deliverables: Clarity on charter period dates and beyond The WCAG 3.0 deliverable is described at a high level in the proposed charter, with the expected completion date (Q4 2027) referring only to the Candidate Recommendation Snapshot. There is no intermediate milestone structure visible in the charter itself. By contrast, the Web Applications WG charter (https://www.w3.org/2026/01/webappswg-charter-2026.html) provides a detailed list of deliverables including explicit target dates for each major transition (e.g., First Public Working Draft, CR, Recommendation). We request that the AGWG charter adopt a similar structure for WCAG 3.0, listing at minimum: Target date for a wide-review Working Draft representing the full intended scope of WCAG 3.0 Target date for the conformance model Group Note (see above) Target date for CR Snapshot Target date for REC This level of specificity is not unprecedented for a W3C charter and would provide the Working Group, its participants, and the broader community with a shared understanding of what success looks like. 4. Pubic dashboard [Org] requests that the charter include a requirement for a publicly accessible progress dashboard, updated no less than monthly, that tracks: - The state of the conformance model (draft / public review / finalized) - The number of normative provisions in each stage of readiness (per the completion criteria already defined in the "Expectations of progress" section of the proposed charter) This is a low-cost accountability mechanism that would allow member organizations, tool vendors, and policy stakeholders to assess progress without waiting for formal publications. The AG WG publication status page is a start, but it does not provide details in a simple form. 5. Continued support [Org] wants to be clear that despite these concerns, we support the continuation of WCAG 3.0 development within the AGWG. Digital accessibility standards that can be referenced in policy and implemented by tools require the IP protection, broad membership review, and formal process that only a Recommendation-track Working Group provides. Moving WCAG 3.0 to a Community Group would deprive the work of the scrutiny and buy-in it needs from implementers, tool vendors, and policy stakeholders. The primary barrier to progress has been the absence of time pressure and clear scope boundaries — not the venue. The changes we are requesting are intended to address that structural problem, not to slow the work down. We look forward to engaging with the Working Group and W3C staff on these points and are happy to participate in any discussion during the charter review period. ]]
Received on Thursday, 23 July 2026 17:42:39 UTC