Overview
A user agent is any software that retrieves and renders Web content for users. This may include Web browsers, media players, plug-ins, and other programs — including assistive technologies. The UAAG working group provides guidelines for designing user agents that lower barriers to Web accessibility for people with disabilities (visual, hearing, physical, cognitive, and neurological). A user agent that conforms to these guidelines will promote accessibility through its own user interface and through other internal facilities, including its ability to communicate with other technologies (especially assistive technologies). Furthermore, all users, not just users with disabilities, should find conforming user agents to be more usable.IBM contributed to the UAAG 1.0 guidelines which were completed in December.
In addition to helping developers of HTML browsers and media players, UAAG will also benefit developers of assistive technologies because it explains what types of information and control an assistive technology may expect from a conforming user agent. IBM contributed to the UAAG 1.0 guidelines which were completed in December, 2002. In addition, IBM provided UAAG techniques and implementation reports based on its development of IBM Home Page Reader and Mozilla Firefox accessibility.
Requirements for UAAG 2.0 recommend improving the organization of UAAG to be compatible with WCAG 2.0, to clarify conformance requirements, and to update the guidelines and techniques to reflect emerging Internet technologies. IBM plans to contribute to these updated guidelines and techniques.
Last updated, July 27, 2007