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Creating WCAG 2.0 conformance claims

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From: Paul Bohman
Date: Nov 30, 2012 1:05PM


Creating conformance claims to Section 508 is a pretty standard process by
now, using VPAT, but what about conformance claims to WCAG 2.0? Is there
anyone that has created WCAG 2.0 conformance claim documents that would be
willing to share the format and the the type of documentation included?

One of the reasons that I ask the question is because of the way WCAG 2.0
defines conformance (see http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#conformance). The
claim must apply to an entire web page (not parts), and to entire processes
(not just pages within a process). Documenting the accessibility of
processes can be tricky, especially with complex web applications. Here's
what WCAG 2.0 says about the process:

> *3. Complete processes:* When a Web page<http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#webpagedef>;is one of a series of Web pages presenting a
> process <http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#processdef>; (i.e., a sequence of
> steps that need to be completed in order to accomplish an activity), all
> Web pages in the process conform at the specified level or better.
> (Conformance is not possible at a particular level if any page in the
> process does not conform at that level or better.)
>
> *Example: *An online store has a series of pages that are used to select
> and purchase products. All pages in the series from start to finish
> (checkout) conform in order for any page that is part of the process to
> conform.
>
With very complex applications, there could be hundreds or even thousands
of separate processes. Maybe it's not necessary to mention them all
separately, but maybe it is. That's why I'm asking the question.

How have you handled processes when creating formal conformance claims, or
how would you do it, if you've never created one before? I'm thinking that
there can be value in ensuring some level of consistency across
organizations and web sites, similar to the VPAT concept.

Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training
Deque Systems, Inc
703-646-0514, ext.121