Why we need WCAG 2.0

What is the difference between WCAG 1 and WCAG 2?

For the most part the WCAG 2 document is simply more efficiently organised.
It may allow changes of priority in some requirements, and for some
requirements to be added or removed, based on changes in the technology used
on the Web since the publication of WCAG 1.0. It also reflects a great deal
of experience gained in implementing WCAG 1.0. And finally, it allows
incorporating of the errata into a new Recommendation.

CMN: We need to identify the changes in requirements between WCAG 1 and WCAG
2.

Why make a new version?

We hope that WCAG 2.0 has several improvements over WCAG 1.0

 + More easily used with a wide range of languages
When WCAG 1.0 was developed most of the Web was written using HTML. The
guidelines were designed with that in mind, and applying the guidelines to
other languages has identified some areas that can be improved. The new
version should be easier to apply to a wider range of languages and content
types.

 + More easily used by authoring tool developers
The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines rely heavily on WCAG as the
specification of how to make Web content accessible. Simplifying the
guidelines will improve their usability for this important group.

 + Better approach to legacy technology
In WCAG 1.0 there were a number of checkpoints that began "until user
agents...". In the new version there are no such checkpoints. This reduces
the resource commitment required to keep the information produced up to date.


-- 
Charles McCathieNevile    mailto:charles@w3.org    phone: +61 (0) 409 134 136
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative                      http://www.w3.org/WAI
Location: I-cubed, 110 Victoria Street, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia
September - November 2000: 
W3C INRIA, 2004 Route des Lucioles, BP 93, 06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

Received on Wednesday, 11 October 2000 14:19:54 UTC