Who makes it
WCAG is published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Version 2.2 is the latest, released in 2023. Each version builds on the last, so meeting 2.2 also covers most of 2.1 and 2.0.
The four principles
Content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. In practice that means things like text alternatives for images, keyboard navigation, clear labels on forms, enough color contrast and captions on video.
A, AA and AAA
Each guideline has a conformance level. Level A covers the basics, AA is the common target for businesses and governments, and AAA is the strictest. Most organizations aim for WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 at level AA.
Why WCAG matters
Accessible sites work for more people, including older visitors and anyone on a small screen. Accessibility is also a legal risk: many businesses have faced lawsuits over inaccessible websites, and WCAG AA is the usual benchmark in those cases.
A form no one could finish by keyboard
A healthcare clinic's appointment form couldn't be completed without a mouse, and its fields had no labels for screen readers. Fixing keyboard focus, adding labels and improving contrast made the form usable for everyone and reduced the clinic's legal risk.
Common mistakes
Relying only on an overlay widget
Plug-in accessibility overlays don't fix underlying problems in the code. Real fixes happen in the site itself.
Testing with a scanner alone
Automated tools catch only some issues. Add manual checks, like using the site with just a keyboard and a screen reader.
Treating it as a one-time project
New pages and content can break accessibility. Build checks into your normal publishing process.
Where we work on this