The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has announced the publication of the Collaboration Tools Accessibility User Requirements (CTAUR) Note, which outlines accessibility user needs, requirements, and scenarios for collaborative content creation and development tools.
This published Note focuses on features and capabilities unique to interactive, real-time, or asynchronous collaborative applications, aiming to influence the evolution of future accessibility guidelines, technical specifications, and features of collaboration tools and assistive technologies.
This update is particularly relevant to software developers contributing to the development of collaborative experiences. It addresses various aspects of collaborative tool accessibility, including managing complexity, delineation between content creation and collaboration management, social considerations, and glossary definitions.
As collaboration tools like Google Docs and Microsoft 365 Online continue to grow, it is hoped that this guidance will help ensure that these platforms are accessible and usable for everyone.
The publication of CTAUR is the result of collaborative efforts by experts, including Dr. Scott Hollier from Centre for Accessibility Australia (CFA Australia), Jason White, Janina Sajka, Matthew Atkinson, and Roy Ran.
For further information on the CTAUR published Note, please see the W3C’s CTAUR page.