RE: Manual testing processes

+1

From: Andrew Kirkpatrick [mailto:akirkpat@adobe.com]
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2017 10:20 PM
To: WCAG <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
Subject: CFC: Manual testing processes

Call For Consensus — ends Wednesday February 15th at 10:30pm Boston time.

The requirements for WCAG 2.1 SC's (https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/wiki/WCAG_2.1_Success_Criteria have been discussed at length. Included in the requirements is #2, which states "Be testable through automated or manual processes”, which indicates that in order for a success criteria to be regarded as “testable” it must be possible to determine whether a page passes that criteria using automated or manual testing processes.

On last Tuesday’s call the WG came to a resolution regarding this item, specifically related to user testing. The group also surveyed this question, and arrived at a unanimous agreement:

"User testing is not a required part of a manual testing process for WCAG test criteria.”

This resolution indicates that if the only way to test a success criteria is to conduct user testing, then that is not “testable” with regard to WCAGT 2.1.

The Working Group will recommend strongly in WCAG 2.1 (as it did in WCAG 2.0) that user testing be conducted.

For background:
Call minutes: http://www.w3.org/2017/02/07-ag-minutes.html

Survey: https://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/35422/testing20170207/results#xq1


If you have concerns about this proposed consensus position that have not been discussed already and feel that those concerns result in you “not being able to live with” this decision, please let the group know before the CfC deadline.

Thanks,
AWK

Andrew Kirkpatrick
Group Product Manager, Standards and Accessibility
Adobe

akirkpat@adobe.com<mailto:akirkpat@adobe.com>
http://twitter.com/awkawk