What is WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) offer a universal framework for building user-centric web and digital experiences. WCAG provides a series of testable criteria to help ensure that digital content that is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust across platforms, including mobile.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 are developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) through its Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are stable and referenceable standards that do not alter once they have been published. So far, there have been four published versions of WCAG:
- WCAG 1.0 (1999)
- WCAG 2.0 (2008)
- WCAG 2.1 (2018)
- WCAG 2.2 (2023)
POUR Principles
The WCAG standards consist of guidelines which are organized under four principles focused on making sure digital content is:
- Perceivable: Able to be perceived without exclusively relying on one sense (i.e., sight).
- Operable: Able to be operated or used, including with assistive technology.
- Understandable: Able to be understood, such as by using plain language and predictable patterns.
- Robust: Content is compatible with current and future browsers and other user tools.
Testable Criteria
Each testable criterion of WCAG can receive three levels of conformance:
- A (lowest)
- AA
- AAA (highest)
To comply with WCAG at a particular level, the content must meet the success criteria noted, inclusive of lower levels. For example, to be Level AA compliant, success criteria for levels A and AA must be met.
Typically, higher levels of compliance are more cost- or labor-intensive to meet. For example, for time-based media, AAA compliance includes having sign language interpretation for all prerecorded videos.
Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) currently uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard. This means that as a state university, we are required to meet this level of conformance. However, we should strive to meet AAA standards where feasible.