Open Accessibility (A11y) Workgroup
Open A11y Workgroup's Mission Statement
First chartered in 2004 as the Linux Foundation Accessibility Workgroup (LFA), the Open Accessibility (A11y) Group functions today within the Linux Foundation to establish free and open standards that enable comprehensive universal access to various computing platforms, applications, and services. Open A11y makes it easier for developers, ISVs, and distributions to support assistive technologies (AT). Assistive technologies enable individuals to make full use of computer-based technology despite variability in physical or sensory abilities due to illness, aging or disability.
AT enables individuals who are blind or visually impaired to read online text, for example, and provides the means for individuals who do not have the use of their arms and hands to write and correspond. AT also enable individuals who cannot speak or hear to participate on the telephony interfaces of today -- and will support their participation on the multimodal computer interfaces of tomorrow.
- AT-SPI2 2.0.1 Available for Download (2011-04-27) [1]
- IAccessible2 1.2.0 released under BSD License [2]
- Linux Foundation Announces New Licensing Terms, Testing Tools for Accessibility Interfaces [3]
- news from Open A11y [5]
Open A11y Workgroup Resources
- Email Lists: Archives & List Services [6]
- Meetings: Agendas & Minutes [7]
- Specifications: Drafts & Recommendations [8]
irc.a11y.org(on the#a11yor#ia2channel) [9]- Open A11y Workgroup Participants [10]
- Open A11y's Executive Officers [11]
- Open Accessibility BZR Repository [12]
- Open Accessibility GForge Projects [13]
- Bugzilla [14]
For Developers
Interested in writing cross-platform accessible applications?
- AT-SPI Interfaces [15] and Subinterfaces
- Learn more about the IAccessible2 interfaces for Windows [21].
- IAccessible2, version 1.2.0 [2]
- AccProbe: The Accessibility Probe [4] is a standaloneapplication that provides a view of the Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) or IAccessible2 hierarchy of a currently running application or rendered document and of the properties of the accessible objects of that application or document
- Get support or ask a question either on the Accessibility mailing list [6] or via irc.a11y.org [22], in channels #a11y and #ia2 -- or, create your own channel and get others involved!
A11y Special Interest Groups
- ATK/AT-SPI SIG [23]
- Expert Handlers SIG [25]
- IAccessible2 SIG [21]
- Input/Output (I/O) SIG [30]
- Keyboard Accessibility SIG [32]
Archival References & Resources
accessibility:about [53]
Workgroup Chartered to Make UNIX more Accessible to People with Disabilities.
- Read more [53]
specs/guidelines/issues [56]
Guidelines for Open A11y Specifications: Open Issues & Questions
General Issues Which Need to Be Addressed for All Specifications
- boilerplate "copyright" and "licensing" verbiage -- get from from LF?
- Read more [56]
scratchpad [60]
This portion of the Open A11y Workgroup's wiki is intended to foster discussion and development of new resources, collaborate upon evangelism of Workgroup efforts, and the like. It is a public discussion area endorsed by no one, but of interest to everyone.
- Read more [60]
scratchpad/frontpage [62]
Alternatives to Open Accessibility's Current Front Page
* Mission Statement moved to DIV beneath links [63]
- Read more [62]
scratchpad/csun2009 [65]
'NOTE: The submission deadline for CSUN 2009 has been extended to Monday, 3 November 2009.
For Reference:
- Read more [65]
draftpages/csun2008/draft1 [72]
New Standards and New Initiatives From Open A11y: Draft 1
- Title:
- New Standards and New Initiatives From Open A11y
- Read more [72]
draftpages/csun2008/draft2 [73]
New Standards and New Initiatives From Open A11y: FINAL
- Title:
- New Standards and New Initiatives From Open A11y
- Read more [73]
draftpages/csun2008/finaldraft [74]
FINAL DRAFT: New Standards and New Initiatives From Open A11y
- Title:
- New Standards and New Initiatives From Open A11y
- Read more [74]
presentations/csun2008 [75]
New Standards and New Initiatives From Open A11y
- Title:
- New Standards and New Initiatives From Open A11y
- Read more [75]