Semantic 3D Content Accessibility Community Group
Skip to toolbar
Skip
My W3C Account
Semantic 3D Content Accessibil...
Semantic 3D Content Accessibility Community Group
The mission of the Semantic 3D Content Accessibility Community Group is to enable accessibility for people with disabilities of 3D content (like: virtual worlds, XR/VR/AR/MR, video games, videos, animations, images, TV, Generative AI content, real-life and other 3D experiences) using an approach of a common semantic 3D data model and a related ecosystem.
We aim to research and define the format for a common semantic 3D data model with focus on accessibility. In addition, we plan to provide guidelines around its generation and usage for making different types of 3D content accessible. This group may publish Reports and this group may publish Specifications.
To give a very simple example, the semantic 3D content data model could include (among many other fields) names and locations of objects. If the data of names and locations is externalized then accessibility solutions would be able to access this data in different ways (like using spatial audio or accessing it as lists via a screen reader using different sorting and filtering criteria, etc.). By having these options, users with disabilities would have the agency to choose when, where and how they want to experience 3D scenes in a variety of highly personalized ways. Names and locations data is common to all 3D content so accessibility solutions could make all types of 3D content accessible in a decoupled way from the experience or even the media type they originate from. As a result, this decoupling could enable reuse of the same accessibility solutions across experiences and media types after their thorough testing with people with disabilities.
The group invites people with disabilities, assistive technology and accessibility solutions developers and researchers, 3D and XR content creators, 3D engines and tools developers, browsers developers, media players developers, technical writers, accessibility subject matter experts, Human Computer Interaction practitioners, media specialists, Artificial Intelligence specialists, software developers and solutions architects and anyone else wishing to collaborate and contribute towards realizing the mission of this Community Group.
For one example of a semantic 3D content data model with specific and special focus on accessibility that could be considered and developed along with other contributed alternatives see
Semantic-XR
(which is a follow up work to a presentation given at the
2019 W3C Workshop on Inclusive Design for Immersive Web Standards
and part of a presentation planned for the
2026 W3C Workshop on Smart Voice Agents
Group's public email, repo and wiki activity over time
Note: Community Groups are proposed and run by the community. Although W3C hosts these
conversations, the groups do not necessarily represent the views of the W3C Membership or staff.
Chairs, when logged in, may publish draft and final reports. Please see
report requirements
Call for Participation in Semantic 3D Content Accessibility Community Group
sysbotcg
Posted on:
February 24, 2026
The
Semantic 3D Content Accessibility Community Group
has been launched:
The mission of the Semantic 3D Content Accessibility Community Group is to enable accessibility for people with disabilities of 3D content (like: virtual worlds, XR/VR/AR/MR, video games, videos, animations, images, TV, Generative AI content, real-life and other 3D experiences) using an approach of a common semantic 3D data model and a related ecosystem.
We aim to research and define the format for a common semantic 3D data model with focus on accessibility. In addition, we plan to provide guidelines around its generation and usage for making different types of 3D content accessible. This group may publish Reports and this group may publish Specifications.
To give a very simple example, the semantic 3D content data model could include (among many other fields) names and locations of objects. If the data of names and locations is externalized then accessibility solutions would be able to access this data in different ways (like using spatial audio or accessing it as lists via a screen reader using different sorting and filtering criteria, etc.). By having these options, users with disabilities would have the agency to choose when, where and how they want to experience 3D scenes in a variety of highly personalized ways. Names and locations data is common to all 3D content so accessibility solutions could make all types of 3D content accessible in a decoupled way from the experience or even the media type they originate from. As a result, this decoupling could enable reuse of the same accessibility solutions across experiences and media types after their thorough testing with people with disabilities.
The group invites people with disabilities, assistive technology and accessibility solutions developers and researchers, 3D and XR content creators, 3D engines and tools developers, browsers developers, media players developers, technical writers, accessibility subject matter experts, Human Computer Interaction practitioners, media specialists, Artificial Intelligence specialists, software developers and solutions architects and anyone else wishing to collaborate and contribute towards realizing the mission of this Community Group.
For one example of a semantic 3D content data model with specific and special focus on accessibility that could be considered and developed along with other contributed alternatives see
Semantic-XR
(which is a follow up work to a presentation given at the
2019 W3C Workshop on Inclusive Design for Immersive Web Standards
and part of a presentation planned for the
2026 W3C Workshop on Smart Voice Agents
In order to
join the group
, you will need
W3C account
. Please note, however, that
W3C
Membership
is not required to join a Community Group.
This is a community initiative. This group was originally proposed on 2026-02-18 by
Zohar Gan. The following people supported its creation: Kurt Cagle, Adam Sobieski, Borislav Iordanov, Zohar Gan, Peter Hulst, Haklae Kim, Marc Printz and Priyanka Dank.
W3C’s hosting of this group does not imply endorsement of the activities.
The group must now
choose a chair
. Read more about
how to get started in a new group
and
good practice for running a group
We invite you to share news of this new group on social media and other channels.
If you believe that there is an issue with this group that requires the attention of the W3C staff, please email us
at
site-comments@w3.org
Thank you,
W3C Community Development Team
Tools for this group
Learn about available Community Group tools and how to configure a group's site to include links to tools on w3.org or elsewhere.
Mailing List
@ public-semantic-3d-a11y
@ internal-semantic-3d-a11y
IRC
RSS
Contact This Group
Get involved
Learn more about how to join a group.
Anyone may join this Community Group. All participants in this group
have
signed the
W3C Community Contributor License Agreement
Join or Leave this group
Chairs
Zohar Gan
Participants (
View
all participants
Archives
February 2026
Categories
Announcements
Footer Navigation
Standards
Groups
Get involved
Resources
News & Events
About W3C
Contact W3C
Contact
Help
Support us
Legal & Policies
Corporation
Systems Status
W3C Updates