WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and it is a set of standards that help make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. By following WCAG, you can ensure that your website is usable by everyone, regardless of their sensory, cognitive, physical, or situational abilities.
In this blog post, I will explain what WCAG is, why it is important, and how you can check and improve your website’s accessibility. Let’s get started!
What is WCAG?
WCAG is a technical standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international organization that sets the rules for the web. WCAG provides guidelines and success criteria for web content developers, web authoring tool developers, and web accessibility evaluation tool developers. WCAG covers various aspects of web accessibility, such as:
- How to provide text alternatives for non-text content, such as images, audio, and video
- How to make content adaptable to different devices, browsers, and assistive technologies
- How to ensure that content is perceivable by different senses, such as sight, hearing, and touch
- How to make content operable by different input methods, such as keyboard, mouse, voice, and gesture
- How to make content understandable by different cognitive abilities, such as language, memory, and attention
- How to make content robust and compatible with current and future technologies
WCAG has three versions: WCAG 2.0, WCAG 2.1, and WCAG 2.2. All versions have the same four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR). However, each version adds new success criteria to address emerging issues and needs. For example, WCAG 2.1 added success criteria related to mobile accessibility, low vision accessibility, and cognitive accessibility. WCAG 2.2 is scheduled to be finalized in August 2023, and it will add success criteria related to drag-and-drop functionality, focus appearance, pointer gestures, and more.
Each success criterion in WCAG has three levels of conformance: A (lowest), AA (medium), and AAA (highest). The higher the level, the more accessible the content is. However, not all success criteria are applicable or feasible for all types of content or situations. Therefore, it is recommended to aim for at least level AA conformance for most websites.
Why is WCAG important?
WCAG is important because it helps make the web more inclusive and accessible for everyone. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people in the world have some form of disability, and many of them rely on the web for information, education, communication, entertainment, and more. By following WCAG, you can ensure that your website does not exclude or discriminate against these users.
WCAG is also important because it helps you comply with legal requirements and avoid lawsuits. Many countries and regions have laws or policies that require web accessibility for public or private websites. For example, in the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in public accommodations, which includes websites that offer goods or services to the public. In Europe, the Web Accessibility Directive requires public sector websites and mobile applications to comply with WCAG 2.1 level AA. By following WCAG, you can demonstrate your commitment to web accessibility and reduce your legal risks.
WCAG is also important because it helps you improve your website’s quality and usability. By following WCAG, you can benefit not only users with disabilities but also users without disabilities who may face temporary or situational limitations. For example,
- Providing captions for audio content can help users who are deaf or hard of hearing but also users who are in a noisy environment or prefer to read rather than listen
- Providing clear headings and labels can help users who have cognitive or learning disabilities but also users who are unfamiliar with the topic or language
- Providing keyboard navigation can help users who cannot use a mouse or touch screen but also users who prefer to use a keyboard for efficiency or comfort
By following WCAG, you can also enhance your website’s performance and SEO (search engine optimization). For example,
- Providing text alternatives for non-text content can help users who use screen readers or text-only browsers but also search engines that index your content based on text
- Providing responsive design can help users who access your website from different devices or screen sizes but also search engines that rank your website higher for mobile-friendliness
- Providing fast loading times can help users who have slow internet connections or limited data plans but also search engines that rank your website higher for speed
How to check and improve your website’s accessibility?
To check and improve your website’s accessibility according to WCAG standards, use following steps:
- Validate your HTML.
- Validate for accessibility.
- Check for keyboard accessibility.
- Test in a screen reader.
- Check your pages for WCAG compliance.
- Conduct user testing.
- Repeat this process.
