Web Accessibility Resources from W3C  WAI
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) works with organizations around the world to develop strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the Web accessible to people with disabilities. WAI is part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that develops Web standards for HTML, XML, CSS, etc. See www.w3.org/WAI/about
The WAI home page www.w3.org/WAI/ has announcements, highlights, and links to documents such as:
•	Essential Components of Web Accessibility – shows how Web accessibility depends on several  components of Web development and interaction  working together, and shows the relationship  between the WAI guidelines:
•	WCAG – Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
•	ATAG – Authoring Tool  Accessibility Guidelines
•	UAAG – User Agent  Accessibility Guidelines
www.w3.org/WAI/intro/components
Image description: Illustration with labeled graphics of boxes, content, and people. At the top center is a pie chart, an image, a form, and text, labeled “content”. Coming up from the bottom left, a line connects “developers” through “authoring tools” and “evaluation tools” to “content” at the top. Coming up from the bottom right, an arrow connects “users” to “browsers, media players” and “assistive technologies” to “content” at the top. Below these are “accessibility guidelines” which include “ATAG” with an arrow pointing to “authoring tools” and “evaluation tools”, “WCAG” pointing to “content”, and “UAAG” pointing to “browsers, media players” and “assistive technologies”.
•	WAI-ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) Overview – defines a way to make Web content and Web applications more accessible to people with disabilities. It especially helps with dynamic content and advanced user interface controls developed with Ajax, HTML, JavaScript, and related technologies. www.w3.org/WAI/intro/aria
•	How WAI Develops Accessibility Guidelines through the W3C Process: Milestones and Opportunities to Contribute – introduces how WAI works through a process designed to 
•	ensure broad community input, and 
•	encourage consensus development.
It describes the milestones that a document goes through  on its way to becoming a W3C Recommendation/standard. www.w3.org/WAI/intro/w3c-process
Image description: Five icons representing draft documents, complete technical report, using computer with technical report, endorsing technical report, and approved technical report.
•	Participating in WAI – describes participation opportunities ranging from volunteering  to implement, promote, and review guidelines; to occasional participation in an interest group; to dedicated participation in a working group. www.w3.org/WAI/participation
See www.w3.org/WAI/flyer/ for updates since 21 March 2008.
Image description: W3C logo, Web Accessibility initiative logo