WCAG 2.1 Guidelines

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines - International Standard for Web Accessibility

What is WCAG?

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and provide the most widely adopted standard for web accessibility. WCAG 2.1 is the current version, building on WCAG 2.0 with additional success criteria for mobile accessibility, people with low vision, and cognitive disabilities.

Conformance Levels

A
Level A

Minimum level of accessibility. Essential for basic accessibility.

AA
Level AA

Recommended standard. Required by most accessibility laws.

AAA
Level AAA

Highest level. Not required for entire sites.

The Four Principles (POUR)

  • Provide text alternatives for non-text content
  • Provide captions and alternatives for multimedia
  • Create content that can be presented in different ways
  • Make it easier for users to see and hear content

  • Make all functionality available from a keyboard
  • Give users enough time to read and use content
  • Don't use content that causes seizures
  • Help users navigate and find content

  • Make text readable and understandable
  • Make content appear and operate in predictable ways
  • Help users avoid and correct mistakes

  • Maximize compatibility with current and future tools
  • Use valid, well-formed markup
  • Ensure assistive technologies can parse content

Test Your WCAG Compliance

AccessiScan automatically tests against WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA success criteria.

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