Re: The future of WCAG – maximising its strengths not its weaknesses

WCAG 2.0 is a well researched and thought out document, and like just 
about every document setting standards it is great until it meets the real 
world.

the feed back I have heard is mostly in two catagories.

1. I don't/can't/won't understand it, it is over my head, way too 
complicated etc etc.   part of this stems from the fact that websites are 
now being made more and more often by the lesser trained people who are 
becoming webmasters.
  The web is being used much more casually and has a lot more "do it 
yourselfers" involved.
  The commercial webmaking products for the "Do it yourselfer" or mostly 
glossing over the or even ignoring access.  or it is in a seperate 
"chapter" that many just skip over.  it is still not mainstream.(our 
work/fault)

2. The users are not keeping up or understanding or being involved enough 
in the creation of the document,  the testers being used are for the most 
part fairly computer literate and don't adequately represent the true 
nature of the population that needs and/or uses the output documents and 
websites.

I try but am still guilty of the above.  but rather than placing blame how 
can we find a way to make this document understandable to the "masses" and 
how do we get it used by even the most inexperienced part time webmaster, 
the single enterperneur who along with running a business full time also 
maintains their businesses website..


unfortunately more questions than answers.  but I believe that rather than 
tinkering with the current document, we spend our time making this 
document, flawed though it may be, understood and used WORLD WIDE not just 
among the computer literate but making the users of computers literate in 
what it means and how it is accomplished.

just my couple pennies thrown into the pot

Bob


On Tue, 8 Jan 2013, Dr Jonathan Hassell wrote:

> Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2013 10:03:51 +0000
> From: Dr Jonathan Hassell <jonathanhassell@yahoo.co.uk>
> To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> Subject: [windows-1252] The future of WCAG ~V maximising its strengths not its
>      weaknesses
> Resent-Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2013 10:04:15 +0000
> Resent-From: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> 
> 2012 was a year of real ups and downs for WCAG 2.0.
>
> It’s finally become ratified as an international Standard. It’s been included in legislation in Europe, Canada and the USA.
>
>
> At the same time it’s also had its value questioned by academic research, and the achievability of its AAA level questioned by some voices in the accessibility community. Calls for it to be updated are becoming louder and louder. And frameworks like BS 8878, in which WCAG 2.0 can be more successfully integrated with the practicalities of real-world web product development, are gaining support in the commercial and academic worlds.
>
>
> So, with the growing movement for WCAG 2.0 to replace national standards and thus harmonise accessibility standards globally, it's a good time to review WCAG 2.0's strengths and weaknesses, what strengths other national standards have that it may lack, and what might be needed to make it a much better 'harmonised Standard' for the future.
>
> Read my blog at http://www.hassellinclusion.com/2013/01/wcag-future/
>
> And please let me know (on the blog, or here on the WAI list) what you think...
>
> Is WCAG overdue an update? Or is it more important to have a stable standard than keeping it up with the latest web trends?
>
> Best regards
>
> Jonathan
>
> --
>
> Prof Jonathan Hassell
> Director, Hassell Inclusion
>
> Blog: http://hassellinclusion.com
> Twitter: http://twitter.com/jonhassell
>
>