Ongoing WAI-CooP project

The Web Accessibility Initiative Communities of Practice (WAI-CooP) is a project to support the implementation of the EU web accessibility directive and international standards for digital accessibility.

The project’s overall objectives include:

Establishing vendor-neutral overview on available training, tools, and resources internationally
Analyzing technological advancements and coordinating with relevant research and development
Providing opportunities for key stakeholders to share resources and to exchange best practices

WAI-CooP will deliver 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 a range of key stakeholders involved in the implementation of digital accessibility. This includes public bodies and private entities; organisations representing people with disabilities; product, service, and training providers; researchers; policy makers and so on.

This 3-year project started on 1 January 2021 and is funded by the European Commission (EC) under the Horizon 2020 programme.

WAI-CooP project partners are:

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) – as part of W3C, France
European Disability Forum (EDF), Belgium
HAN University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
University of Lisbon, Faculty of Sciences Association for Research and Development, Portugal
Deque Research, Netherlands

For more information, visit the WAI-CooP project web page.

Web Accessibility Directive FAQs and helpdesk

The project created a dedicated website with Frequently Asked Questions on the Web Accessibility Directive. The website provides a wealth of information and resources, as well as a helpdesk.

www.web-directive.eu

Reports on WAI-CooP events

Overview of WAI-CooP resources and a look at the future of digital accessibility

This event took place on 14 November 2023.
It provided an overview of the WAI-CooP project team’s work and resources developed, and also looked at the future of digital accessibility standards and support available for implementation of digital accessibility in the private sector.

Read our summary report of the event [Word document]

Download presentations made during the event:

Presentation from Robin Massart (European Commission) [PowerPoint]
Presentation from Carlos Duarte (University of Lisbon) [PowerPoint]
Presentation from Eric Velleman (University of Han) [PowerPoint]
Presentation from Wilco Fiers (Deque Systems) [PowerPoint]
Presentation from Fernando Machicado (Accessible EU Project) [PowerPoint]
(Coming soon) Presentation from Alastair Campbell (W3C Web Accessibility Initiative) [PowerPoint]

The Web Accessibility Directive’s feedback mechanism and complaints procedure

This event took place on 7 March 2023.
Panelists discussed the challenges a range of stakeholders experienced with directive’s feedback mechanism and complaints procedure and made suggestions on how these could be improved.

Read our summary report (Word Document)

Access to digital accessibility expertise

This event took place on 11 October 2022
Panelists discussed the challenges around access to digital accessibility expertise, the impact this is having on persons with disabilities as how this could be addressed in the future

Read our summary report (Word document).

Monitoring the Web Accessibility Directive

This event took place on 19 April 22.
Speakers presented an overview of Member States’ monitoring reports and of their own experience of monitoring, including challenges and it could be improved and harmonised in the future