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WAI: Strategies, guidelines, resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities

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Participating in the Research and Development Working Group (RDWG)

Contributing to RDWG

Options for contributing to the work of the Research and Development Working Group (RDWG) include:

• Contributing through the RDWG mailing list
• Contributing as a "participant in Good Standing", which is a W3C term indicating that a participant is satisfying the participation requirements of the W3C Process and the Working Group's charter

This page explains the requirements and procedures for becoming a participant in Good Standing of the RDWG. It also explains how to contribute as a non-participant subscriber to the RDWG mailing list.

See also Participating in WAI for broader participation options throughout the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

If you have any questions, contact the W3C Team contact for RDWG, Shadi Abou-Zahra.

Subscribing to the mailing list

The RDWG mailing list archives are publicly available and can be read by anyone. If you would like to contribute online to the work of the RDWG, you may subscribe to the RDWG mailing list.

Subscribing to the mailing list does not make you a participant in Good Standing; however, it does allow you to comment and contribute through the mailing list, which is RDWG's main online forum. If you later want to become a participant in Good Standing, follow the steps in the "Becoming a participant in Good Standing" section below.

To subscribe to the RDWG mailing list:

1. If you do not have a W3C Access Account login and password, request a W3C Access Account:
   • If you work for a W3C Member organization, complete the Member Account Request Form.
   • If you do not work for W3C Member organization, complete the Public Account Request Form.
   You should receive your W3C login name and password within 2 business days.
2. After you receive your W3C login name, request to be added to the RDWG mailing list by sending an e-mail:
   • including your W3C login in the e-mail body
   • with subject line "Request for RDWG mailing list"
   • to: team-rd-call@w3.org

If you do not recieve confirmation that you have been added to the mailing list with in one week, contact the W3C Team contact for RDWG, Shadi Abou-Zahra.

Becoming a Participant in Good Standing

Participating in RDWG enables you to influence the development of RDWG deliverables, and you and your organization will be listed as contributors to the deliverables of the RDWG where appropriate. Participant status requires a commitment on your behalf to support the work of the group.

Participants are expected to meet the requirements of the W3C Process document. Section 6.2.1.7 Good Standing in a Working Group states:

Participation in a Working Group on an ongoing basis implies a serious commitment to the charter, including all of the following:

• attending most meetings of the Working Group.
• providing deliverables or drafts of deliverables in a timely fashion.
• being familiar with the relevant documents of the Working Group, including minutes of past meetings.
• following discussions on relevant mailing list(s).

Additionally, the RDWG Charter states:

Effective participation to Research and Development Working Group (RDWG) is expected to consume at least 4 hours per week for each participant

In addition to the Good Standing requirements in the W3C Process, RDWG participants in Good Standing must respond to e-mails sent to the RDWG mailing list and complete RDWG questionnaires in a timely manner.

If you work for a W3C Member organization:

1. Read the RDWG Charter.
2. If you do not have a W3C Access Account login and password, complete the Member Account Request Form. You should receive your W3C login name and password within 2 business days.
3. After you receive your W3C login name, ask your W3C Advisory Committee (AC) Representative to:
   • Select you as a participant in the Working Group by completing the Joining the RDWG WG Form.
   • Fill out the Working Group Nomination Form, which includes completing an intellectual property rights (IPR) declaration for your organization.

You will be notified when these forms are processed and you are added to the RDWG mailing list.

If you do not work for a W3C Member organization:

If you do not work for a W3C Member organization and you think that you have the expertise and availability to participate, you may apply to become an Invited Expert. Note that the RDWG is a public Working Group and participation in it does not give you access to information that is W3C Member-confidential.

1. Read the RDWG Charter.
2. Read the invited expert and collaborators agreement.
3. If you do not have a W3C Access Account login and password, complete the Public Account Request Form. You should receive your W3C login name and password within 2 business days.
4. After you receive your W3C login name, complete the W3C Invited Expert Application.
5. You should receive a reply within 10 business days. If you are accepted as an Invited Expert, you will receive confirmation with additional instructions.

If you do not recieve a reply within 10 days, contact the W3C Team contact for RDWG, Shadi Abou-Zahra.

Document Information

[Contacting WAI] Feedback welcome to wai-eo-editors@w3.org (a publicly archived list).

File last updated on $Date: 2012/10/31 17:47:57 $ by $Author shadi $