Re: W3C Deaf access

Hi Brian,

Here is a quick, _unofficial_ reply.

Sign language was not explicitly including in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0. It is included in WCAG 2.0, which was published in December 2008. However, it is at Level AAA. Most organizations require conformance to Level AA, but not Level AAA.[1]

More information is available at:
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag
- Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.6 Sign Language http://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/media-equiv-sign.html

Note that we host a mailing list for public discussion of web accessibility issues: WAI Interest Group (IG)
You can search the mailing list archives through:
  http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/
You can join the mailing list and post questions by following the instructions under:
  http://www.w3.org/WAI/IG/Overview.html#Uselist

Best regards,
~ Shawn

[1] In fact, we don't recommend requiring Level AAA as a general policy for entire websites. "Note 2: It is not recommended that Level AAA conformance be required as a general policy for entire sites because it is not possible to satisfy all Level AAA Success Criteria for some content."
- from http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/#conformance-reqs (and in the official standard at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/ )


-----
Shawn Lawton Henry
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
e-mail: shawn@w3.org
phone: +1.617.253.8788
about: http://www.w3.org/People/Shawn/




Brian Hogan wrote:
> Hi
> just been reading through what you are doing and I think its great. Can 
> I ask one thing though - you correctly say that sign language users can 
> find it difficult to follow written English; should public bodies who 
> say their website has been designed to W3C Accessable standards also 
> have some signed video content even if only to say that they will 
> arrange for a sign language interprer for a deaf person who wanted to 
> talk to them?  
> Its just that I am having a debate with the Scottish Charity regulator 
> about lack of access of both their premises and their website and their 
> response was that their website complied with W3C standards. It does 
> have a lot, even browsealoud and a language translation website service 
> but nothing for sign language users.
> Hope to hear from you in due course.
> Regards
> Brian Hogan
> Tayside Deaf Forum
> Dundee
> Scotland
> 
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Received on Monday, 8 March 2010 14:10:10 UTC