1. What’s new at W3C WAI: or life after WCAG 2
What’s new at W3C WAI: or life after WCAG 2.1 Vivienne Conway: OZeWAI 2017

2. It’s a busy time at WAI WCAG 2.1 – what happens after?
WCAG Silver Task Force
Accessibility Conformance Testing Task Force
Education & Outreach Working Group
Andrew has already told you about 2.1, so I won’t labour that point

3. What comes after WCAG 2.1?
There are some questions around the ‘shelf life’ of 2.1 and whether changes will result in a 2.2 or a 3.0, or just wait for Silver
WCAG 2.1 is expected to complete in June 2018
New Success Criteria and Understanding documents

4. Why Silver? Accessibility Guidelines = AG on the Periodic Table of Elements
Alt= “period table of elements with Ag symbol for Silver magnified.”  
It’s a mnemonic -- the acronym for Accessibility Guidelines  is AG, the chemical symbol Ag stands for Silver.
Image courtesy of

5. Silver Goals: Content Easier to use Easier to reference
Easier to understand
Expanded scope
Inclusive of more disabilities
Inclusive of more perspectives
Inclusive of more technologies
Useful for more people

6. Silver Goals: Process & Structure
Based on evidence and data
Broadly communicate our efforts
Clear project milestones
Inclusive communication paths
Inclusive of more perspectives
Involve more stakeholders
Easier to maintain and update
Clearer update path

7. Silver – participatory design
Involving more people, groups, participation

8. Silver – the timeline Expected completion date is end of 2020
Currently in the Discovery phase
Progressing independently of the AGWG focus on WCAG 2.1
If WCAG 2.2 happens, the TF expects that it will impact on Phase 5 Q3 201—Q timeline for writing the document

9. What’s on your wishlist for Silver?
Communicate directly with any Silver Task Force members – you can give information to Scott Hollier, Andrew Arch or myself
You can opt in to participate in W3C research at:
W3C Research - Silver Project Participation

10. ACT: What is it? Accessibility Testing for WCAG Concepts:
Reducing differing interpretations of WCAG
Making test procedures interchangeable
Developing a library of commonly accepted rules for WCAG
Who is involved?
Tool vendors
Accessibility auditors
Anyone interested

11. Where is ACT at? Developing a framework
Standardising how to write rules using the ACT framework
Creating a repository of ACT rules

12. ACT Rules What are rules? ‘general purpose’ accessibility tests
Means they aren’t tests for 1 application, but can be used on any web page of a particular technology
This means they can be:
Fully automated
Semi-automated / user-assisted tests
Manual test procedures

13. ACT Rules – an example Selector: img:not(alt) Test case:
If the img does not have ‘role=presentation’, return ‘failed’, otherwise return ‘passed’
Using rules to test for conformance
Multiple rules are combined to test for WCAG SC conformance

14. ACT - Benefits Harmonised testing Transparency
separating opinion from test method
Transparency
By documenting how an organisation tests, it becomes more clear why results are what they are – differences in findings can be explained
Better accessibility tools
Reduced interpretation difference
Stimulate innovation in accessibility testing tools
Stop reinventing the wheel – clear results for anyone to compare

15. Relationship to auto-WCAG CG
ACT
ACT Framework specification
Supporting resources
Auto-WCAG CG
Develop test rules that meet the ACT Framework

16. ACT Task Force Timeline
ACT Framework
February 2019 – goal to reach Recommendation stage.
You can check out the ACT Framework spec at:
Draft ACT Framework Spec

17. ACT – do you want to contribute?
You can contact:
Shadi Abou-Zahra –
Wilco Fliers –
Mary Jo Mueller –

18. Education & Outreach Working Group
Current work
Reviewing and updating all of the resources to move to the new WAI website
Split among numerous small review teams
Will be working with the AGWG
to update the Understanding WCAG Document to include the new 2.1 Success Criteria

19. EOWG Feedback
If you’ve got suggestions or comments about the WAI resources, please contact:
Vivienne Conway –
Andrew Arch –

20. Questions are always welcome
You can get further information on our services at our website,
Web Key IT at
You can me:
Advice is always free!
Vivienne Conway, Director