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WAI: Strategies, guidelines, resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities

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Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Home

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3. Managing Accessibility
4. Evaluating Accessibility
5. WAI Groups
   1. Authoring Tool (AUWG)
   2. Education & Outreach (EOWG)
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   4. Protocols & Formats (PFWG)
      1. »How to Join (Participation)
      2. PFWG Charter
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      4. PFWG E-mail Archives, Member
      5. PFWG Members Area
   5. Research (RDIG)
   6. User Agent (UAWG)
   7. WAI Interest Group (WAI IG)
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6. About WAI

Participation in the Protocols and Formats Working Group

This page explains the requirements and procedures for becoming a participant in the Protocols and Formats Working Group (PFWG). It also explains how non-participants may contribute to the Working Group by subscribing to the group's mailing lists, monitoring the group's progress, and contributing on the lists. See also Participating in WAI for broader participation options throughout the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

Subscribing to the mailing list

If you would like to monitor the work of the Protocols and Formats Working Group and contribute on-line, you may subscribe to the mailing list. You will not be considered a participant in Good Standing (W3C term indicating that a participant is satisfying the participation requirements of the W3C Process and the Working Group's charter) but that does not limit your ability to comment and contribute. At a future date, if you wish to become a participant in Good Standing you will need to follow the steps outlined in "Becoming a participant in Good Standing."

The PFWG has two mailing lists:

• wai-xtech@w3.org is a public list for discussion of items within PFWG's scope, where W3C Member-confidentiality is not required;
• w3c-wai-pf@w3.org is a W3C member-confidential list for working group business, and for discussions of PFWG work where Member-confidentiality is required.

To subscribe to a PFWG mailing list:

1. If you do not have a W3C Access Account login and password, request a W3C Access Account:
   • If you work for a W3C Member organization, complete the Member Access Request Form. In the "Additional information that might be helpful in processing your request (optional):" field, fill in: "To subscribe to the WAI PFWG mailing list."
   • If you do not work for W3C Member organization, complete the Public Access Request Form. In the "Describe the specific purpose for this public access name and password:" field, fill in: "To subscribe to the WAI PFWG mailing list."
   You should receive your W3C login name and password within 2 business days.
2. After you receive your W3C login name, request to be added to the PFWG mailing list by sending an e-mail:
   • including your W3C login username in the e-mail body (do not send your password)
   • with subject line "Request for PFWG wai-xtech mailing list"
     OR "Request for PFWG w3c-wai-pf mailing list"
   • to: wai-pf-call@w3.org

If you do not recieve confirmation that you have been added to the mailing list with in one week, contact the W3C Team contact for PFWG, Michael Cooper.

Becoming a participant in Good Standing

The following is an excerpt from the W3C Process document section 6.2.1.7 Good Standing in a Working Group

Participation in a Working Group on an ongoing basis implies a serious commitment to the charter, including all of the following:

• attending most meetings of the Working Group.
• providing deliverables or drafts of deliverables in a timely fashion.
• being familiar with the relevant documents of the Working Group, including minutes of past meetings.
• following discussions on relevant mailing list(s).

Participation enables you to influence the development of the deliverables, and you and your organization will be listed as contributors to the deliverables of the PFWG where appropriate. Participant status, however, requires a commitment on your behalf to support the work of the group.

Participants are expected to observe the requirements of Section 6.2.1.7 of the Process Document ("Good Standing in a Working Group").

If you work for a W3C Member organization...

1. Read the PFWG Charter.
2. Complete the Member Access Request Form if you do not already have a Member account. You should receive your W3C login name and password within 2 business days.
3. After you receive your W3C login name, ask your W3C Advisory Committee (AC) Representative to:

   1. fill out the Working Group Nomination Form, which includes completing an intellectual property rights (IPR) declaration on behalf of your organization.

   2. select you as a participant in the Working Group by completing the Joining the PFWG form.

If you do not work for a W3C Member organization...

If you do not work for a W3C Member organization, but you feel you have the expertise and availability to participate, you may apply to become an Invited Expert.

1. Read the PFWG Charter.
2. Ensure that you can comply with the terms in the invited expert and collaborators agreement
3. Contact Judy Brewer for further information on how to join.

Document Information

[Contacting WAI]

File (not content) last updated on $Date: 2008/12/18 19:33:58 $ by $Author shawn $