RE: HTML Writers Guild sets accessibility requirements for Guild pages, co-branding partners

Congratulations.  Your action sets an example for all!

Cynthia D. Waddell

---------------------------------------------------
Cynthia D. Waddell   
ADA Coordinator
City Manager Department
City of San Jose, CA USA
801 North First Street, Room 460
San Jose, CA  95110-1704
(408)277-4034
(408)971-0134 TTY
(408)277-3885 FAX
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/webcast/cynthia.htm
http://www.aasa.dshs.wa.gov/access/waddell.htm 



-----Original Message-----
From: Kynn Bartlett [mailto:kynn-hwg@idyllmtn.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 1999 8:10 PM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: HTML Writers Guild sets accessibility requirements for Guild
pages, co-branding partners


The Governing Board of the HTML Writers Guild has just voted to
adopt the motion quoted below, which requires not only that the
HWG's web services be accessible to our members with disabilities,
but also that our partners, on co-branded pages that bear the Guild's
name, are held to the same levels of accessibility.

Our baseline level is single-A (priority 1) compliance with the
WCAG, but look for that to increase as the Guild works on our own 
accessibility requirements document.  (To be released soon.)

By requiring this not only of ourselves but also of those who seek
to partner with the Guild, we may risk turning down some deals, but
we may also send a strong signal that the Guild doesn't just "talk
the talk" -- we walk the walk on web accessibility, and it's not just
a good idea around the HWG virtual guildhall...it's a core principle
of the way we view the web.

Personally speaking, I'm proud of the Guild's Board for taking this
stand.  With over 107,000 members world-wide, I am pleased to be
part of an organization that is willing to use our influence and
our voice to stand up for what's right -- and web accessibility,
my friends, is _right_.

--Kynn

Text of the motion follows:

>HWG Governing Board member Kynn has submitted the following
>motion for consideration by the Governing Board: 
>
>Moved: All web sites operated or co-operated by the HTML Writers
>Guild must meet standards of accessibility to disabled and
>other users.  This standard of accessibility shall at least
>equal minimal (Single-A) compliance with the W3C's Web
>Content Accessibility Guidelines; further accessibility
>considerations for specific types of content may be 
>added to this standard by executive decision of the President
>or a designated subcommittee on web accessibility.
>
>Allowances clause:
>
>Specific allowances or exceptions MAY be made on a case-by-case
>basis, by a full vote of the Board.
>
>Grandfather clause:
>
>The Guild will contact existing partners who may not measure up
>to our accessibility standards, and offer to work with them on
>increasing the accessibility of their web sites.  The Board may
>have the option of granting allowances on these cases if deemed
>appropriate.
>
>Level Single-A Compliance:
>
>The single-A level of compliance with the Web Content Accessibility
>Guidelines is defined as meeting all the applicable Priority 1
>checkpoints.  Those consist of:
 >
 > [Checkpoints snipped]
>         
>References:
>
>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
>http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
>
>WCAG Checkpoints
>http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/full-checklist.html
>
>
>Reasons: The HTML Writers Guild is one of the leading proponents of
>"correctly done" HTML authoring -- which includes not only
>validation but accessibility.  Therefore, our own sites 
>_must_ be made accessible to Guild members with disabilities;
>to do otherwise is to adopt a "do as I say, not as I do"
>attitude.
>
>This resolution would also apply to partners who seek to
>co-brand a site with us; accessibility is required for all
>pages identified as "official Guild projects", and therefore
>all partners would be asked to meet the same standard of
>accessibility that we ask of ourselves.  This will allow
>Guild members with disabilities to have access to any and
>all services provided by the HTML Writers Guild to our
>members. 
>
>Second provided by Ann Navarro.

-- 
Kynn Bartlett                                    mailto:kynn@hwg.org
President, HTML Writers Guild                    http://www.hwg.org/
AWARE Center Director                          http://aware.hwg.org/

Received on Monday, 15 November 1999 13:14:53 UTC