[AGWG] Background for Planning for updating of ISO endorsement of WCAG

The following is background information for our first agenda item.

 

o    W3C published WCAG 2.0 in 2008 

.   https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/

o    In 2012, W3C submitted this successfully through JTC-1's publicly available specifications (PAS) program for endorsement by ISO

.   https://www.iso.org/standard/58625.html

o    One of the benefits of this ISO endorsement is to facilitate uptake of WCAG in some countries 

.   https://www.w3.org/2012/07/wcag2pas-pr.html

o    2.0 remains freely available from W3C, regardless of whether governments or organizations adopt WCAG because it is a W3C Recommendation or an ISO-endorsed standard 

.   https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/faq/#iso

o    Given that improvements to WCAG 2.0 are available from WCAG 2.1.

.   https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

.   https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-21/

o    .and that more are in progress with WCAG 2.2.

.   https://www.w3.org/blog/2020/02/wcag-22-in-development/

o    .

W3C is evaluating how best to update ISO-endorsement of WCAG. The review process under the PAS program takes a number of months. If W3C were to start WCAG 2.1 on this process now, endorsement would likely not be completed before WCAG 2.2 has been completed. Therefore W3C is leaning in favor of preparing in advance to submit WCAG 2.2 for endorsement, once it is completed as expected later this year.

 

The work of preparing the submission and taking it through the PAS process is generally done by W3C staff, and resources have been allocated for that, so this process would not directly impact AGWG with the exception of some clarification questions that might come to AGWG at a later stage in the process. There are some questions of timing and other considerations to be explored. The purpose of this agenda item is to inform AGWG of this process, provide clarification where possible on pros and cons, and seek the group's input into various considerations.

 

Regards,

Chuck