Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines Final Working Draft Open to Public
Review Until October 4, 1999

INTRODUCTION
The [1]Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the [2]World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C) is fielding public commentary on the final working
draft of its [3]Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines until October
4, 1999.

This is a plain text version of announcement located at:
    <http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/vicug/au_last_call.html>
if you have access to the web, you are strongly encouraged to use
the hypertextualized version of this document.  This plain text
notice was generated using Lynx, which was set to report
hyperlinks as numbers. A list of hyperlink references follows the
body of the document.

This document is separated into three parts:
    PART 1. What Are the Authoring Tool Guidelines?
    PART 2. What Is Last Call?
    PART 3. Making Sure Your Voice Is Heard
The beginning of each section is indicated by a plus sign (+).
_________________________________________________________________

+ PART 1: What Are the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines?

The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines are part of a series of
accessibility guidelines published by the W3C's Web Accessibility
Initiative. The series also includes the [4]User Agent Accessibility
Guidelines and the [5]Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines provides guidance for
developers of software which creates content for the web (or in a
web-based markup language). The purpose of the Guidelines is two-fold:
to assist developers in designing authoring tools that generate
accessible web content and to "assist developers in creating an
accessible authoring interface".

Accessible web content is achieved by encouraging authoring tool users
(a.k.a. "authors") to create accessible web content through mechanisms
such as prompts, alerts, checking and repair functions, help files,
and automated transformation and conversion tools. It is, of course,
equally important to ensure that anyone, regardless of disability or
lack of technical expertise, can create web content that is
accessible, as well as aesthetically pleasing. it is, therefore, of
critical importance that the tools used to create such content are
themselves accessible. Adoption of these Guidelines will result in the
proliferation of web pages that can be read by a broader range of
readers and in authoring tools that can be used by a broader range of
authors.

The Guidelines have been organized as follows:
    1. There are seven "guidelines" Each guideline includes:
          * a guideline number;
          * the statement of the guideline;
          * the rationale behind the guideline;
          * a list of checkpoint definitions.
    2. Each guideline specifies one or more prioritized "checkpoints"
       that explain how authoring tool developers can satisfy the
       guideline. Each checkpoint definition includes:
          * a checkpoint number;
          * the statement of the checkpoint;
          * the priority of the checkpoint;
          * (in some cases) informative notes, clarifying examples, or
            cross references to related guidelines or checkpoints;
          * A link to a section of the Techniques Document where
            implementations and examples of the checkpoint are discussed;
       Each checkpoint is intended to be specific enough that it can be
       verified, while being sufficiently general to allow developers the
       freedom to use the most appropriate strategies to meet the
       checkpoint.

The Guidelines document includes a conformance statement that
explains how programs that produce content intended to be accessed via
a user agent (such as a browser or PC-based Digital Talking Book
Player) can claim conformance to the Authoring Tool Accessibility
Guidelines.

The Guidelines are also accompanied by another document, entitled
"[6]Techniques for Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines". The
Techniques document explains in detail how software developers may
implement the checkpoints enumerated in the Guidelines. It also
includes references to other accessibility resources, such as
platform-specific software accessibility guidelines, which give
additional information on how a tool may satisfy each checkpoint.
(Please note that the Techniques document, which continues to evolve,
is not entering "last call", although comments about techniques are
still welcome.)

The Guidelines have been produced by the W3C's [7]Authoring Tool
Guidelines Working Group as part of the [8]Web Accessibility
Initiative.
       ___________________________________________________

+ PART 2: What is Last Call?

The [9]Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines have now entered "Last
Call" status. Within the W3C, "Last Call" status signifies a final
review period before a working draft becomes a "Proposed
Recommendation". Once the "Last Call" period ends on October 4, 1999,
the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines will then be circulated to
[10]W3C Member organizations for review--the final step in deciding
whether the Guidelines will or will not become a W3C Recommendation,
and, hence, carry the same weight as the markup languages (such as
HTML, SMIL, and StyleSheets) that form the foundation of the web.

Once the "last call" period has ended, all comments have been
evaluated, and the W3C Director, [11]Tim Berners-Lee, has reviewed the
document, the Guidelines will become a [12]Proposed Recommendation.
        ____________________________________________________

+ PART 3: Making Sure YOUR Voice Is Heard

Since this is the last opportunity to comment on the [13]Authoring
Tool Guidelines, you are strongly urged to take the time to review
the Working Draft, in order to ensure that the guidelines contained
therein accurately reflect your concerns about the accessibility of
authoring tools. The web shouldn't just be a one-sided conversation
--so let the [14]Authoring Tools Guidelines Working Group know what
you features you need built into an authoring tool, so that you can
use it to create your own web pages.

Once you have reviewed the Authoring Tool Guidelines you can
forward your comments to the Authoring Tool Working Group by
October 4, 1999, using the following eddress:

     <[log in to unmask]>

All comments, and responses to them, will be [15]archived for public
reference. Comments that you wish to keep private, and which will
only be reviewed by W3C Members may be sent to:

     <[log in to unmask]>

Please note that the "Last Call" period ends on October 4, 1999, and
that the Working Group will not be able to incorporate "Last Call"
comments which are received after that date.
_________________________________________________________________

Hyperlink References
1. http://www.w3.org/WAI/
2. http://www.w3.org/
3. http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-WAI-AUTOOLS
4. http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-WAI-USERAGENT
5. http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT
6. http://www.w3.org/WAI/AU/WAI-AUTOOLS-TECHS
7. http://www.w3.org/WAI/AU/
8. http://www.w3.org/WAI/
9. http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-AUTOOLS
10. http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Member/List
11. http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/
12. http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/#RecsPR
13. http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-AUTOOLS-19990903
14. http://www.w3.org/wai/au/
15. http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-au/
--------------------------------------------------------
He that lives on Hope, dies farting
     -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1763
--------------------------------------------------------
Gregory J. Rosmaita <[log in to unmask]>
   President, WebMaster, & Minister of Propaganda,
        VICUG NYC <http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/vicug/>
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