Status of Authorized Translation of WCAG2 to Dutch

Dear Coralie, W3C,
 
We are pleased to announce that the majority of stakeholders have indicated that they have in fact reviewed the Dutch translation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 and that they consider it to be an accurate translation. A short report of the work sofar is included below. The list of all issues and the agreed and accurate translation proposal (as input into the translation) is attached to this mail. The overview has been sent to the list earlier for the reviewers and stakeholders.
 
The translation as now agreed to by the stakeholders can be fround at:
http://www.w3c.nl/Vertalingen/WCAG20/
 
The errata is available at:
http://www.w3c.nl/Vertalingen/WCAG20/errata/
 
On behalf of the stakeholders, the LTO and the W3C Benelux Office would like to advise W3C that from the standpoint of the majority of the stakeholders involved in the authorized translation of WCAG2.0 to Dutch, the translation is accurate and a new review round is not necessary. 
 
We would like to plan a press release together with W3C for the launch of the Dutch authorized translation.
 
 
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Short report of the translation work and status:
The Accessibility Founcation notified W3C of their intention to lead the translation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 to Dutch. Using the general public translators' mailing list we identified the major and relevant stakeholder organizations with which we have coordinated the review of the translation, identify the nature and the names of the organizations constituting an appropriate representative of the local community. The local W3C Benelux Office actively participated in the group. These stakeholder organization had then been invited to participate in the process, and had agreed to do so. 

 

W3C Evaluation of LTO Submission: 

W3C then acknowledged the LTO's submission of intent to develop an Authorized Translation and let us know we could proceed with the preparation of a Candidate Authorized Translation. 

 

LTO Preparation of Candidate Authorized Translation (CAT). 

The kickoff of the Dutch Translation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines was on the 19th of May 2009 at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom affairs in the Hague Netherlands. Rob Evelo and Arno Thijssen from the Ministry, Fons Kuijk from W3C Benelux and Eric Velleman from the Accessibility Foundation explained the work and the role of the stakeholder organizations. 

We then prepared a Candidate Authorized Translation (CAT) with all involved stakeholders and worked and commented on that document in a total of 5 versions and a total of more than 592 discussion points. After a number of conference calls with the stakeholders we agreed on a final document fit to be CAT but not yet covering all discussion points. Stakeholders agreed to input possibly remaining discussion points into the public review. The CAT and its URI was then announced on the translators mailing list.

 

W3C Initiation of Review Process: 

W3C then announced a review period of 30 days of the CAT and a separate, publicly archived mailing list, in W3C Office Web space, to be used for commenting. 

 

LTO Notification of Review, Monitoring of Comments, and Revision of CAT

We then notified the stakeholder organizations of the availability of the CAT, the start of the review period on the second of november 2009, and the existence of the mailing list for comments and asked them to send comments to this mailing list: public-auth-trans-nl@w3.org; All comments on the CAT where sent to this list. Some comments where received outside the list because it did not always work for all participants. These comments where all input into the comments matrix and processed by the reviewers. The review was open untill late december 2009.

 

Accessibility Foundation (LTO) and the stakeholders monitored the mailing list comments; provides clarification when necessary; and summarized consensus on specific issues (if applicable) to help the ongoing discussion. Please note that a number of reviewers did not succeed in posting their comments to the mailing list. Their comments where nevertheless all integrated into the comments matrix and processed by the reviewers. A total of 487 comments where received from within the stakeholder group. Very few comments where received from outside the stakeholder group that produced the initial CAT. Many of the comments are editorial or overlapping. The comments where input into a comments matrix document that was posted to the list. For all comments, we noted the section in the document, the kind of comments, the comment itself, the proposed change, summary of the discussion in the stakeholder group and the decision made by the group. 

 

The changes where then made by the W3C Benelux Office. The LTO then issued a new version of the CAT. 

 

Besides comments from the reviewer group, very few comments where received during the review period. After working on the comments from the reviewers, we ensured that a majority of the reviewing organizations sent an email to us and the translators' mailing list confirming that they have in fact reviewed the document, and that they consider it to be an accurate translation. Up to today, we received this message from 17 of the stakeholder organisations taking part in the translation.

 

We now advise the W3C that from the standpoint of the majority of the stakeholders involved in the authorized translation of WCAG2.0 to Dutch, the translation is accurate and a new review round is not necessary. 

 

W3C Response to LTO Summary: 

We now await the response from W3C. They will consider the public comments and changes made to the CAT in response to these comments, and decide, in coordination with the LTO, whether the document can be designated an Authorized Translation. 

 

If W3C decides that the document can be promoted, then we will deliver the document to W3C in valid XHTML with UTF-8 encoding, using the same presentation style as the original document and following the guidelines of the W3C I18N Activity. 

We will then add a disclaimer to the document and transfers the copyright of the document to W3C (MIT, ERCIM, and Keio). W3C will then publish the authorized translation on the W3C site (either on the W3C server or on the site of a local W3C Office, whenever applicable). Currently the document is on the website of the Benelux W3C Office. W3C will also add the new translation to W3C Translations' site. 

 

Errata management: 

We have setup a and will maintain (together with the W3C Benelux Office) a public "errata page" (linked from the document). This page is a list of translation errors, and their corrections. Errata can be reported through the mailing list that served as a review. This page will be clearly identified on the errata page. The LTO will keep the errata page up-to-date together with the W3C Benelux Office. 

Kindest regards,
 
Eric
 
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Eric Velleman
Accessibility Foundation
University of Twente
 
Oudenoord 325,
3513EP Utrecht (The Netherlands);
Tel: +31 (0)30 - 2398270
www.accessibility.nl / www.wabcluster.org / www.econformance.eu / www.game-accessibility.com

Accessibility is Member of W3C
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