Re: WCAG 2.0 - W3C Web Standard Defines Accessibility for Next Generation Web

At 17:02 11/12/2008, Loretta Guarino Reid wrote:
>Congratulations, everyone! It's official! WCAG 2.0 is a W3C Recommendation.
>
>Last week, we said we'd cancel today's meeting, 
>but we thought it would be nice for people to 
>get on the call at the usual time. No agenda, no 
>requirement to be here, but we think people will 
>welcome the opportunity to congratulate each other today.

Can we also have a survey for congratulations? ;-)

Seriously, though, I'm glad we finally made it.

I noticed that the Wikipedia articles on Web 
Accessibility Initiative 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Accessibility_Initiative> 
and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Content_Accessibility_Guidelines> 
have already been updated.

The publication is also in time for the new BSI 
draft on web accessibility: BS 8878:2009: "Web 
accessibility – Building accessible experiences 
for disabled people – Code of practice." The 
comments period ends on 31 January 2009. See 
<http://drafts.bsigroup.com/?i=245> (you need to 
register before you can access the draft).

Best regards,

Christophe


>  We'll probably only be on the phone for 1/2 hour or so.
>
>Loretta and Gregg
>
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Shawn Henry <<mailto:shawn@w3.org>shawn@w3.org>
>Date: Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 7:02 AM
>Subject: WCAG 2.0 - W3C Web Standard Defines 
>Accessibility for Next Generation Web
>To: WAI Interest Group <<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
>
>
>
>Dear WAI Interest Group Participants,
>
>W3C issued a press release today announcing the 
>publication of WCAG 2.0. The online version 
>includes links to other languages and information about W3C and WAI, at:
> 
><http://www.w3.org/2008/12/wcag20-pressrelease.html>http://www.w3.org/2008/12/wcag20-pressrelease.html
>
>See the end of this e-mail message for links to WCAG 2.0 resources.
>
>Feel free to circulate this message to other 
>lists; please avoid cross-postings where possible.
>
>=============
>PRESS RELEASE
>
>W3C Web Standard Defines Accessibility for Next Generation Web
>
>Collaborative Effort Results in More Flexible 
>and Testable Standard; Advances Accessibility of the Web
>
><http://www.w3.org/>http://www.w3.org/ -- 11 
>December 2008 -- Today W3C announces a new 
>standard that will help Web designers and 
>developers create sites that better meet the 
>needs of users with disabilities and older 
>users. Drawing on extensive experience and 
>community feedback, the Web Content 
>Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 improve upon 
>W3C's groundbreaking initial standard for accessible Web content.
>
>This new standard from the W3C's Web 
>Accessibility Initiative (WAI) will advance 
>accessibility across the full range of Web 
>content (such as text, images, audio, and video) 
>and Web applications. WCAG 2.0 can be more 
>precisely tested, yet it allows Web developers 
>more flexibility and potential for innovation. 
>Together with supporting technical and 
>educational materials, WCAG 2.0 is easier to understand and use.
>
>WCAG 2.0 addresses barriers to accessing the Web 
>experienced by people with visual, auditory, 
>physical, cognitive and neurological 
>disabilities, and by older Web users with 
>accessibility needs. WCAG 2.0 explains how to make content:
>* Perceivable (for instance by addressing text 
>alternatives for images, captions for audio, 
>adaptability of presentation, and color contrast);
>* Operable (by addressing keyboard access, color 
>contrast, timing of input, seizure avoidance, and navigability);
>* Understandable (by addressing readability, 
>predictability, and input assistance); and
>* Robust (for instance by addressing 
>compatibility with assistive technologies).
>
>Wide Support for WCAG 2.0
>
>"Because WCAG 2.0 applies to all Web 
>technologies, it can help ensure that the Web 
>stays open to people with disabilities even as 
>we continually introduce new technologies. We 
>incorporated feedback from thousands of comments 
>received during the development of WCAG 2.0 
>regarding user needs, and technical 
>feasibility," said Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden, 
>Co-Chair of WCAG Working Group, and Director of 
>the Trace R&D Center at the University of 
>Wisconsin. "WCAG 2.0 represents the outcome of a 
>major collaborative effort, and its final form 
>is widely supported by industry, disability 
>organizations, research and government. This 
>balance is important in order for WCAG 2.0 to 
>serve as a unifying international standard for Web accessibility."
>
>Extensive supporting materials to help 
>developers and policy-makers include WCAG 2.0 at 
>a Glance; WCAG 2.0 Documents; How to Meet WCAG 
>2.0: A Customizable Quick Reference; 
>Understanding WCAG 2.0; and Techniques for WCAG 
>2.0. Techniques are already available for HTML, 
>CSS, SMIL, Scripting, and Accessible Rich 
>Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA), and are under 
>development for additional Web technologies. 
>Resources to support transition include How to 
>Update Your Web Site to WCAG 2.0. Essential 
>Components of Web Accessibility describes the 
>relationship between WCAG 2.0 and other Web 
>Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines that 
>also have 2.0 versions under development.
>
>Far-Reaching Impact
>
>"Web accessibility helps us reach a broader 
>audience by supporting access to the Web for 
>people with disabilities, as well as increasing 
>usability across a variety of mobile devices," 
>explained Loretta Guarino Reid, Co-Chair of WCAG 
>WG, and Google Accessibility Engineer. "The Web 
>community helped us demonstrate successful use 
>of WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.0 test procedures in 
>diverse types of Web technologies, Web content, 
>interactive applications, and natural languages. 
>These trial implementations also show the 
>continuity between WCAG 1.0 and 2.0, as most Web 
>sites that conformed to WCAG 1.0 did not need 
>significant changes to meet WCAG 2.0."
>
>While WCAG 1.0 was adopted widely, there is even 
>broader interest in adoption of WCAG 2.0 by 
>organizations and governments worldwide. The 
>Policy for Authorized W3C Translations is 
>expected to facilitate direct adoption in local languages.
>"In the recently passed United Nations 
>Convention on the Rights of Persons with 
>Disabilities, access to information and 
>communications technologies is for the first 
>time recognized internationally as a human 
>right," according to George Kerscher, Secretary 
>General of the DAISY Consortium. "WCAG 2.0 will 
>help to make access to information a reality around the world."
>
>Current and recent participants in the WCAG 
>Working Group include Adobe, AOL, Google, IBM, 
>International Webmasters Association/HTML 
>Writers' Guild, Microsoft, NIST, SAP, and Vision 
>Australia, and individual Invited Experts from 
>research, disability, government and standards 
>organizations in Australia, Canada, Europe, 
>Japan, and the United States. In addition, the 
>extensive public review process resulted in 
>comments from hundreds of organizations and individuals around the world.
>
>=======================
>TESTIMONIALS IN SUPPORT
>
>These organizations expressed support of WCAG 2.0 through testimonials:
>Access Board; Adobe; American Association of 
>People with Disabilities; ANEC; Boeing; CTIC 
>Foundation; Deque; Disability Rights Fund; 
>European Commission for Employment, Social 
>Affairs and Equal Opportunities; European 
>Commission for Information Society and Media; 
>European Disability Forum; UN Global Initiative 
>for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict); Hitachi; HP; IBM; 
>Information Technology Research and 
>Standardization Center (INSTAC); Innovimax; 
>International Webmasters' Association / HTML 
>Writers' Guild; Internet Society (ISOC); 
>Microsoft; Mitsue-Links; National Center for 
>Accessible Media (NCAM); SAP; Trace Research & 
>Development Center; UNESCO; and Vision Australia.
>
>For the full text of these testimonials, see: 
><http://www.w3.org/2008/12/wcag20-testimonial>http://www.w3.org/2008/12/wcag20-testimonial
>
>==============
>WCAG RESOURCES
>
>Please see additional information linked below.
>WCAG Overview
>        <http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/>http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/
>WCAG 2.0 technical standard
>        <http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/>http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/
>WCAG 2.0 at a Glance
> 
><http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/glance/>http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/glance/
>How to Meet WCAG 2.0: A customizable quick reference
> 
><http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/>http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/
>Blog post
> 
><http://www.w3.org/QA/2008/12/wcag_20_is_finalized.html>http://www.w3.org/QA/2008/12/wcag_20_is_finalized.html
>Related WAI Guidelines and Techniques
> 
><http://www.w3.org/WAI/guid-tech.html>http://www.w3.org/WAI/guid-tech.html
>
>Please let us know if you have any questions.
>
>Regards,
>Shawn Lawton Henry, Education and Outreach 
>Coordinator, W3C Web Accessibility Initiative 
>Judy Brewer, Director, Web Accessibility Initiative On behalf of:
>Loretta Guarino Reid, Co-chair of WCAG WG, and Computer Scientist, Google Inc.
>Gregg Vanderheiden, Co-chair of WCAG WG, and 
>Director of Trace R&D Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
>Michael Cooper, W3C Team Contact for WCAG WG
>
>
>-----
>Shawn Lawton Henry
>W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
>e-mail: <mailto:shawn@w3.org>shawn@w3.org
>phone: +1.617.395.7664
>about: <http://www.w3.org/People/Shawn/>http://www.w3.org/People/Shawn/
>

-- 
Christophe Strobbe
K.U.Leuven - Dept. of Electrical Engineering - SCD
Research Group on Document Architectures
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BELGIUM
tel: +32 16 32 85 51
http://www.docarch.be/
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Received on Thursday, 11 December 2008 18:14:14 UTC