Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

http://www.w3.org/WAI/

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) published Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 in 1999.  These guidelines are seen as the international benchmark for minimum accessibility standards.  A draft of a second version was prepared in 2004, and is available at the WAI site.

The current guidelines address two general themes: ensuring graceful transformation, and making content understandable and navigable. 

The guidelines present a series of checkpoints regarding web page design.  Each checkpoint has a priority level assigned by the Working Group based on the checkpoint's impact on accessibility.

Priority 1

A Web content developer must satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it impossible to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint is a basic requirement for some groups to be able to use Web documents.

Priority 2

A Web content developer should satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will remove significant barriers to accessing Web documents.

Priority 3

A Web content developer may address this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it somewhat difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will improve access to Web documents.

Some checkpoints specify a priority level that may change under certain (indicated) conditions.