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"The first step in solving any problem is to recognize there is one." - Aaron Sorkin
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) were created to help businesses roll out digital content that's easily accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG guidelines (also known as ISO 40500 and EN 301 549) were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The World Wide Web Consortium is the largest non-governmental organization that sets internet standards. W3C began releasing internet guidelines in 1995.
These are rules that dictate how to set up your website, app, or other digital platforms so that individuals with disabilities can still operate and explore them.
The World Wide Web Consortium considers different forms of assistive technology and the needs of a wide variety of users when developing their guidelines.
WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1 should serve as an accessibility guide for everything digital that your business rolls out, from small digital documents all the way up to your website. This will ensure that your business follows federal, state, or local regulations about accessibility. Additionally, we recommend familiarizing yourself with different forms of assistive technology.
Compared to WCAG 1.0, which was formed in 2008, WCAG 2 is more user-centric and updated to match the current technological landscape. WC3 has now released WCAG 2.1 guidelines that are even more comprehensive.
Perhaps its biggest difference is that its guidelines are more focused on its core principles rather than the technology. This helps it become more evergreen, as it can accommodate any future innovations. That being said, WCAG 2 guidelines are meant to serve as a technical standard for web developers.
The principles of WCAG 2.0 fall under the acronym POUR, meaning Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust. WCAG 2.0 has defined conformance levels (Level A, Level AA, & Level AAA) that apply to each element of POUR. To further expand on WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1, here is a quick guide:
A website that is perceivable means that it caters to all of the senses. Should one of your users have difficulty with a sense, they can still navigate through your website through accessibility options.
To ensure that they can be navigated easily even when lacking autonomy in one sense, websites typically use assistive technology to help out. For this core principle, the guidelines are mainly focused on sight, sound, and touch. There are three levels of compliance for the perceivable element. Here's more detail on each level.
Level A Conformance
Level A Compliance deals with text alternatives for non-text (visual or audio) website content, time-based content, adaptable content, and distinguishable content.
Level A compliant websites also need to follow adaptability and distinguishability perceivable principles. These areas deal with page structure, content sequencing, sensory characteristics of instructions, color, and audio control. For more details read guidelines 1.3 and 1.4.
Level AA Conformance
Level AA compliant websites meet all of the standards of level A compliance. Level AA compliant websites must also provide captions for live audio content and ALL pre-recorded content. Forms must identify input purposes to those with disabilities.
Level AAA Conformance
Level AAA compliant websites meet all of the standards previously established in level A and level AA as well as the following.
The principle of operability is about how the website can be navigated through motor functions. Some people have physical disabilities (such as motor difficulties or issues with sight), and thus prefer to use their keyboard rather than a mouse.
If you want your website to be operable to users with disabilities, make sure you allow keyboard navigation and don’t place time limits on your buttons and actions.
You'll also want to design your website in a way that is easy to navigate from page to page and determine what elements do.
Additionally, design elements that are known to cause seizures or other physical reactions (vestibular disorders, migraines, nausea, vomiting, etc.) should be avoided. It's best to avoid flashing lights, unsafe flickering images, and repetitive patterns.
Last but not least, for the highest level of conformance, you will need to design your website for use with assistive technology (single pointer gestures using a finger or other pointing device).
Level A Conformance
Level A compliant websites:
Level AA Conformance
Level AA compliant websites:
Level AAA Conformance
Level AAA compliant websites:
This core principle is arguably the most crucial principle to follow. Without it, having an operable and perceivable website becomes a moot point. When you create a website, it has to be understandable by everyone that comes across it.
Being understandable can come into play in various facets of your website design. For instance, understandability can be measured by how simple and easy-to-follow your instructions are. Consequently, you should also avoid unexpected functions.
When you make your viewer’s user experience smoother, it will ensure that they come back and continue to patronize the website.
Level A Conformance
Level A compliant websites:
Level AA Conformance
Level AA compliant websites:
Level AAA Conformance
Level AAA compliant websites:
Finally, being robust applies more to your code than your website design. Your code has to be compatible with just about any third-party technology that helps make digital content more accessible. For instance, web browsers and screen readers need clean HTML and CSS.
Another example of third-party technology could be text-to-speech (TTS) which enables those visually impaired to have your content read aloud to them by AI technology. The robust principle of WCAG 2.0 currently only has 1 level of conformance.
Level A compliant websites:
At its core, WCAG 2.0 aims to make sure that people with a wide range of disabilities are not left behind by the advancement of technology. Unfortunately, studies show that loss of content and the difficulty of use are already contributing to lower levels of internet use among the disabled.
According to the Pew Research Center:
WCAG is constantly evolving to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. The World Wide Web Consortium's proactive approach will help it remain up to date even if any future technological advancements pop up. The guiding principles and technical standards established by WC3 will serve as valuable resources for brands.
The work that WC3 does is a valiant effort to serve those with disabilities, but at the end of the day, businesses must put their plan into action for the disabled to see the fruits of WC3s labor.
We understand that web design can be cost-prohibitive for small businesses and it might not be in your budget to reach the highest conformance levels (level AAA). That being said, we do recommend that every business we work with should at least reach the minimum conformance level. If every small business on earth could reach level A conformance, it would go a long way towards making the internet accessible to those with disabilities.
In 2006, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) defined access to information on the internet as a human right. This convention was ratified by most countries around the world and some countries created legislation to further codify this human right.
Want to design a website that is accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities? You can trust Carbon Digital to help you out. We are a marketing agency providing digital solutions to help you create a solid brand identity. Our services include app development, branding, SEO, website design, and more. Consult with us today to build your online presence.
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