This document discusses the work of the W3C Accessibility Conformance Testing Task Force (ACT TF) and the Auto-WCAG Community Group (CG). The ACT TF is developing a framework called ACT for writing standardized accessibility test rules. The Auto-WCAG CG is using this framework to create a repository of test rules that can be used across accessibility testing tools. The goals are to reduce differing interpretations of WCAG success criteria, make test procedures interchangeable between tools, and develop a library of commonly accepted rules.

1. ACT Now: Accessibility
Conformance Testing for WCAG
WILCO FIERS, MARY JO MUELLER
W3C STAFF CONTACT: SHADI ABOU-ZAHRA

2. About the ACT Task Force
• Task force under Accessibility Guidelines WG
• Facilitators:
Wilco Fiers – Deque
@wilcofiers
Mary Jo Mueller – IBM
@1mjmueller
•W3C Staff Contact:
Shadi Abou-Zahra – W3C
@sabouzah

3. What is ACT About?
• Reduce differing interpretations of WCAG
• Make test procedures interchangeable
• Develop a library of commonly accepted rules for WCAG

4. Who is participating?
• Tool vendors
• Accessibility auditors
• You?

5. What are we doing?
• Develop the ACT Framework
• Standardize how to write rules,
using the ACT Framework
• Create a repository of ACT rules
Photocredit:
Flickr/rjacklin1975

6. Test Rules explained
Photocredit:
Flickr/GerryLauzon

7. So what are rules?
Rules are "general purpose" accessibility tests
Meaning, they aren’t tests for one application; rather, they
can be used on any web page of a particular technology.

8. Rules can be:
• Fully automated tests
• Semi-automated / user assisted tests
• Manual Test processes

9. Basically…
Rules are to accessibility testing,
what WCAG techniques are to development.

10. An example:
Selector: img:not(alt)
Test case: if the img does not have `role=presentation`,
return `failed`, otherwise return `passed`.

11. Using rules to test for conformance
Multiple rules are then combined to test
for WCAG Success Criterion conformance.

12. Benefits
•Harmonized testing
•Transparency
•Better accessibility tools

13. Reduce interpretation difference
By giving testers a step by step method for testing,
we reduce interpretation difference.
Separating opinion, from test method.

14. Make accessibility testing transparent
By documenting how an organization tests,
it becomes much clearer why results are what they are.
By defining how tests are done, differences in findings can
be explained.

15. Stimulate innovation in accessibility test tools
By having a common set of rules many ATTs use,
we stop reinventing the wheel, and have clearer
results for anyone looking to compare.
This benefits all users.

16. How will we accomplish this?
•ACT Framework (W3C Recommendation)
•ACT Rules repository

17. ACT Framework (W3C Recommendation)
A specification for writing ACT rules including such things as:
• How do you ensure accuracy
• How to ensure it is useful for developers and QA persons
• Allow for accessibility support

18. ACT Rules repository
A collection of rules, vetted for accuracy
and correctness with WCAG.

19. Relationship between ACT TF & Auto-WCAG CG
Abbott: Who's playing first.
Costello: What's on first?
Abbott: What's on second.
Costello: I don't know.
Abbott: He's on third.
Photocredit:
Flickr/TMAB2003

20. Who is doing what?
ACT TF:
• ACT Framework specification
• Supporting resources
auto-WCAG CG:
• Develop test rules that meet the ACT Framework

21. ACT Task Force
Timeline
ACT Framework:
• Feb. – Editor’s draft available
• March 2017 - Goal for a formal
publication
• Feb. 2019 - Recommendation

22. ACT Task Force
Accomplishments
•Began in October 2016
•Charter with a 2 year timeline
•13 members
•Weekly meetings - Wednesdays at
9 am CST (4 pm CET)
•Draft ACT Framework spec:
https://w3c.github.io/wcag-act/act-
framework.html

23. ACT Framework Draft

24. Auto-WCAG CG
Goals
•Develop rules for WCAG
• Automated
• Semi-automated

25. Auto-WCAG CG
Accomplishments
•Started in 2014
•Developed and refined 20+ rules
•Drafted another 15+ rules
•Used in 4 different ATT’s
•Link: https://github.com/auto-wcag

26. Rules contributed to by:
•Auto-WCAG Community Group
•Open AJAX Alliance
•IBM
•Deque Systems
•SSB Bart
•You?

27. Want to contribute to our work?
Contact us:
• Shadi Abou-Zahra - shadi@w3.org
• Wilco Fiers - wilco.fiers@deque.com
• Mary Jo Mueller - maryjom@us.ibm.com

28. Q&A
•How will you get ATT developers on board?
•What is the relationship to WCAG Techniques?
•How do you keep rules up to date with changing
technologies?
•How will this help individual organizations?
•Open to the floor...

29. Thank you!