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Web Accessibility Initiative – Communities of Practice

Project description

Ensuring websites are designed for all

The power of the World Wide Web is in its universality. Websites and web tools should work for all people. This means they should be designed and coded so that people with disabilities can use them. However, this is not the case with all sites. The EU-funded WAI-CooP project will provide a unique model to support implementation of the international standards for digital accessibility. Specifically, it will establish vendor-neutral overviews of available training, tools and resources internationally. It will also analyse technological advances and provide opportunities for key stakeholders to share resources and exchange best practices. The project will support EU public bodies in the process of implementing the Web Accessibility Directive.

Objective

Web Accessibility Initiative – Communities of Practice (WAI-CooP) provides a unique model to support implementation of the international standards for digital accessibility, including the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the EN 301 549.

WAI-CooP objectives are to:
• Establish vendor-neutral overview on available training, tools, and resources internationally
• Analyse technological advancements and coordinate with relevant research and development
• Provide opportunities for key stakeholders to share resources and to exchange best practices

WAI-CooP achieves this by building on the existing wealth of authoritative guidance available from the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), to provide a one-stop shop for the broad spectrum of key stakeholders involved in the implementation of digital accessibility, including public bodies and private entities; organisations representing people with disabilities; product, service and training providers; researchers; and policy makers.

WAI-CooP is uniquely positioned to establish necessary dialogs with key stakeholders to help exchange best practices in the community, provide technical clarification and guidance, and refine the authoritative guidance from W3C. WAI-CooP is also uniquely positioned and qualified to help ensure coordination and harmonisation of accessibility standards and practices, raise awareness and build technical capacities in Europe and internationally.

WAI-CooP maximises its impact by utilising transparent and open processes of the W3C to invite all key stakeholders, and by integrating project results into relevant W3C standardisation and EDF networks, to ensure longer-term sustainability beyond the project. WAI-CooP provides direct support for European Union (EU) public bodies in the process of implementing the Web Accessibility Directive (WAD), while using a non-exclusive approach that benefits organisations and governments internationally wanting to implement digital accessibility.

Call for proposal

H2020-SC6-TRANSFORMATIONS-2018-2019-2020

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-SC6-TRANSFORMATIONS-2020

Coordinator

GEIE ERCIM
Net EU contribution
€ 576 917,50
Address
ROUTE DES LUCIOLES 2004 SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS
06410 Biot
France

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Alpes-Maritimes
Activity type
Other
Links
Total cost
€ 576 917,50

Participants (6)