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Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) Overview

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Quick links: ATAG 1.0, ATAG 2.0 Working Draft

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG)

Authoring tools are software and services that people use to produce Web pages and Web content. Types of authoring tools are listed below under "Who ATAG is for".

The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) documents define how authoring tools should help Web developers produce Web content that is accessible and conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The ATAG documents also explain how to make authoring tools accessible so that people with disabilities can use the tools.

ATAG is part of a series of accessibility guidelines, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG WG) and the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG). Essential Components of Web Accessibility explains the relationship between the different guidelines.

Who ATAG is for

ATAG is primarily for developers of authoring tools, including:

ATAG and supporting resources are also intended to meet the needs of many different audiences, including policy makers, managers, and others. For example:

What is in ATAG 1.0

ATAG 1.0 contains 28 checkpoints that provide guidance on:

Technical document format

ATAG 1.0, the techniques documents, and the checklist follow the W3C format for technical specifications which includes several sections at the beginning: links to different versions, editors, copyright, abstract, and status with the link to errata and the email address for comments. Most WAI specifications have a link at the top to the Table of Contents.

ATAG Versions: 1.0 and 2.0

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 was approved in February 2000 and is the stable and referenceable version.

ATAG 2.0 is being developed to be compatible with WCAG 2.0. WAI anticipates ATAG 2.0 will be completed in 2013. Because of the nature of the W3C development process, WAI cannot be certain when the final version of ATAG 2.0 will be available. ATAG 1.0 will remain the latest approved version until version 2.0 is complete.

Currently, ATAG 2.0 is a mature draft and we expect that it will not change significantly. We recommend that you use the ATAG 2.0 draft in most cases, understanding that it might change.

Who develops ATAG

ATAG technical documents are developed by the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AUWG), which is part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). For more information about the working group, see the AUWG page.

How WAI Develops Accessibility Guidelines through the W3C Process: Milestones and Opportunities to Contribute describes formal periods for public review. Opportunities for review and comment of WAI documents are announced on the WAI home page and WAI Interest Group mailing list. An email address for sending comments is included in the "Status of this Document" section.

Opportunities for contributing to ATAG and other WAI work are introduced in Participating in WAI.