Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AUWG) Charter

This charter is written in accordance with section 4.2.2 of the W3C Process Document.

Mission
Scope
Duration
Deliverables
Dependencies and relations with other groups
Degree of confidentiality
Milestones for work items & deliverables
Meeting mechanisms & schedules
Communication mechanisms
Voting mechanisms
Level of involvement of Team
Participation

1. History and Mission

The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AUWG) was originally chartered in December, 1997 as a Working Group of the WAI Technical Activity. It was rechartered in February 1999 and is being rechartered again in November 2000. The group has produced a number of working drafts leading to the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines, a W3C Recommendation, and two versions of Techniques for Authoring Tool Accessibility, a W3C Note. It is being rechartered to perform the following tasks:

Enhance the W3C Note Techniques for Authoring Tool Accessibility.
Support and track implementation of the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines, including specifying evaluation techniques.
Assess the need for, and begin work on, a revision of the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines.

The scope of the AUWG's work under this charter is to support implementation of the W3C Recommendation Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (ATAG 1.0), and to assess whether there is a need for a revision of that document.

This work is expected to include :

Developing further techniques for implementing ATAG 1.0 in a range of different types of authoring tools;
Developing methods for evaluating conformance of authoring tools;
Tracking related work in other working groups, commenting on and integrating it as appropriate;
Evaluating authoring tools for conformance to the guidelines;
Working with authoring tool developers in implementation methods and techniques.

3. Duration of Work Items

The AUWG is expected to continue for 24 months years, from November 2000 through October 2002.

4. Deliverables

4.1 Deliverables to be produced

Minutes of AUWG meetings.
Semi-annual revisions of the W3C Note Techniques for Authoring Tool Accessibility, as a W3C Note.
- Techniques should consist of implementation detail for implementation of checkpoints in the guidelines.
- Techniques should include examples and information for various types of authoring tools.
- The techniques should include techniques for evaluating the conformance of authoring tools, either as a separate document or part of the same document.
- The techniques should include material developed to date by the Evaluation and Repair Working Group in the W3C Working Draft Techniques for Accessibility Evaluation and Repair Tools (AERT). This document contains algorithms that may be used by software programs to evaluate conformance of Web content to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) as well as to repair documents to conform to WCAG 1.0.
Evaluations of how authoring tools conform to ATAG 1.0.
End of charter report on implementation progress and assessment of need for subsequent work in this area, including if appropriate requirements for a revision of ATAG 1.0.

4.2 Success criteria

Production of deliverables listed above.
Commitments from significant authoring tool developers to implement ATAG 1.0 in future product releases.
Implementation of ATAG 1.0 in a range of authoring tools

5. Dependencies and relations with other groups

5.1 Communication about dependencies within WAI

The Protocols and Formats WG (PFWG public page also available) is the primary conduit for describing and resolving dependencies between WAI groups and other W3C Working Groups. Consequently, requirements for dependencies between the AUWG and other W3C WG's are primarily channeled through the PFWG, and only groups with which AUWG requires direct discussions on dependencies are listed here.

5.2 Groups with which AUWG has dependencies

(WAI) Protocols and Formats WG (PFWG public page): The AUWG provides input on accessibility requirements with regard to W3C technologies for which PFWG manages dependencies;
(WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines WG: The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines rely on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0;
(WAI) User Agent Accessibility Guidelines WG -- The two groups coordinate on common components of user interface accessibility;
(WAI) Education and Outreach WG -- EOWG will assist in promoting awareness & implementation of ATAG 1.0;
(WAI) Evaluation and Repair Working Group develop and track development of tools and documents which are important to the AUWG.
Mobile Access IG -- The AUWG and the Mobile Access IG will coordinate to ensure consistent approaches on guidelines development and on CC/PP (Composite Capability Preferences Profile);
MathML WG (MathML public page)-- The AUWG will coordinate with the MathML Working Group to ensure that the Guidelines and techniques are appropriate for the needs of MathML Authoring Tool developers;
SYMM WG (SYMM public page), -- The AUWG will coordinate with the SYMM Working Group to ensure that the Guidelines and techniques are appropriate for the needs of SMIL Authoring Tool developers;
SVG WG (SVG public page) -- The AUWG will coordinate with the SVG Working Group to ensure that the Guidelines and techniques are appropriate for the needs of SVG Authoring Tool developers;
The Amaya Activity will provide an important test-bed for techniques and refinements to the Guidelines.

6. Degree of Confidentiality

The AUWG home page, deliverables and working drafts, proceedings of meetings, email lists and archives and this charter are all public.

7. Milestones for Work Items and Deliverables

As with other WAI groups, AUWG Working Drafts must first be reviewed by the WAI Interest Group before being posted on the W3C Technical Reports page or sent to the W3C Advisory Committee (AC) for review. The minimum WAI IG review period is one week, after which the AUWG must review and incorporate WAI IG comments.

Proposed milestones:

Note. All milestones are estimated, and conditional on progress of the AUWG and review by W3C.

November 2000: Produce Public Working Draft of revised techniques document.
May 2001: Produce Public Working Draft of revised techniques document.
November 2001: Produce Public Working Draft of revised techniques document.
May 2002: Produce Public Working Draft of revised techniques document, draft of requirements for updating Guidelines
September 2002: Produce Revised Techniques Note, implementation report, requirements for revision of the Guidelines.

8. Meeting Mechanisms & Schedules

The AUWG will hold regular face-to-face meetings, which are likely to be quarterly. Where practicable these will be held in conjunction with other WAI face-to-face meetings or with an event where WAI IG members gather. Working Group meetings are announced to W3C Member organizations through the Member Events Calendar and the Member Newswire; to Working Group participants through the w3c-wai-au@w3.org mailing list; to WAI IG participants via the WAI IG mailing list; and to the general public via the WAI home page.

9. Communication Mechanisms

9.1 Communication within the group

The primary fora for Working Group discussion are the w3c-wai-au@w3.org mailing list (archives are publicly available), and regular teleconferences. As an alternative to teleconferences the group may trial the use of an Internet-based chat system, which will provide logging of the session. If the group unanimously feels that this is an improvement it may be adopted in place of some scheduled telephone conferences. The primary record of the group's activity is the AUWG home page.

9.2 Communication with W3C

The AUWG coordinates with other WAI Working Groups through the WAI Coordination Group;
The AUWG coordinates with W3C through the WAI Domain Leader;
The WAI Domain Leader communicates about W3C and WAI activities through postings to WAI IG;
WAI groups report to the WAI IG at quarterly face-to-face meetings.

9.3 Communication with tool developers

The AUWG encourages developers to become part of the group or to maintain close contact with its work. In addition, the group will specifically seek contacts from developers who can provide additional feedback for conformance evaluations, and act as contact points for their development teams.

9.3 Communication with the public

The AUWG communicates with the public through the AUWG home page and general W3C communication mechanisms.

10. Voting Mechanisms and Escalation

The usual decision making process is by consensus, or by voting with dissenting opinions recorded, as per the standard W3C process for working groups [http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/Plan/process.html#GroupsWG]. In the event that a vote is required, one vote may be cast per member organization or technical expert's organization, via e-mail to the archived mailing list w3c-wai-au@w3.org.
Escalation is through the WAI Domain Leader as needed.

11. Involvement of Team

Judy Brewer - W3C staff contact.

12. Participation

12.1 Who should participate

As the Web Accessibility Initiative is a multi-stakeholder/partnership project, it is critical that different stakeholders in Web accessibility are represented on the AUWG. These include:

representatives of Web-related industry, especially Web content-generating application developers;
representatives of disability organizations, including cognitive disabilities, hearing disabilities, physical disabilities, and visual disabilities;
representatives of research organizations specializing in accessible design for diverse disabilities and functional requirements;
representatives of governments;
experts in the use and usability of a variety of different types of authoring tools.

12.2 Required commitment

Participants are expected to observe the requirements of the W3C Process for Working Groups. The following is an excerpt from the November 11, 1999 Process Document:

"Participation on an ongoing basis implies a serious commitment to the AUWG charter. Participation includes: attending most meetings of the AUWG, providing deliverables or drafts of deliverables in a timely fashion, being familiar with the relevant documents of the AUWG, including minutes of past meetings."

For this Working Group, the following commitment is expected:

3-6 hours per week, including meeting time and reading/responding to mailing list.
Remain current on the group mailing list and respond in timely manner to postings on mailing list;
Participate regularly in telephone and face-to-face meetings or send timely regrets;
Remain aware of related work in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines, and other groups where dependencies exist or arise.
Evaluate the conformance of one or more authoring tools in a year.

Information about how to join the AUWG is available on the Web. Existing members in good standing at the time of rechartering will be required to join the rechartered group.

12.3 Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

The purpose of the AUWG is to produce public documents available royalty-free to everyone, following W3C standard IPR terms. Therefore, anyone commenting in the AUWG will be considered to offer these ideas as contributions to the AUWG documents. Organizations with IPR in areas related to the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines or Techniques must disclose IPR as described in the W3C Process regarding IPR and W3C's IPR fact sheet. Invited experts are required to disclose IPR claims in the same manner as individuals from W3C Member organizations.

Last updated 21 January, 2002 by Jan Richards (jan.richards@utoronto.ca)

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