WCAG guidelines

WCAG guidelines - origin and history

WCAG guidelines (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The W3C is an international organization that develops standards for the web. The WCAG were first published in 1999 and have since become the most important international standard for accessibility on the Internet.

Development of the WCAG:

• WCAG 1.0 (1999): The first version of WCAG was published to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities. It focused on basic guidelines such as providing alternative text for images or avoiding flashing content.
• WCAG 2.0 (2008): This version brought a major overhaul and was more flexible and adaptable to new technologies. WCAG 2.0 was aimed at a wide range of devices and platforms, not just desktop websites.
• WCAG 2.1 (2018): This update added additional requirements to WCAG 2.0, particularly with regard to the accessibility of mobile devices and apps. WCAG 2.1 also brought improvements for people with cognitive impairments and visual impairments.
• WCAG 2.2 (planned for 2023): This version should bring further improvements for mobile applications and users with learning disabilities and supplement the existing guidelines.

The WCAG guidelines have evolved continuously since they were first published in 1999 to keep pace with changing web technologies and to ensure that people with disabilities have full access to web content.

What do the WCAG guidelines say?

The WCAG guidelines provide guidance on how websites and web applications can be designed to be accessible to people with various disabilities. The guidelines are based on four principles, collectively known as the POUR principles:

1. Perceivability (Perceivable):
   • Content must be designed in such a way that it can be perceived by all users. This means that texts must be legible, images must be provided with alternative texts and multimedia content (e.g. videos) must be supplemented with subtitles or descriptions.
   • Example: For blind people, all visual content must be made accessible through screen readers, for example through alternative texts for images.
2. Operability (Operable):
   • Websites must be designed in such a way that they can be used by everyone, regardless of whether they use a mouse, keyboard or other input methods.
   • Example: All functions on a website should be navigable using the keyboard because some people cannot use a mouse.
3. Comprehensibility (Understandable):
   • The content and operation of a website must be easy for users to understand. This includes consistent navigation, comprehensible texts and a clear structure.
   • Example: Use simple and clear language and avoid unnecessarily complex or confusing layouts.
4. Robustness (Robust):
   • Content should also work well with different devices, browsers and assistive technologies. A website must be programmed in such a way that it is also easily supported by future technologies.
   • Example: Web pages should be coded in such a way that they can be displayed correctly with screen readers and other aids.

WCAG conformance levels

The WCAG are divided into three conformance levels that define the degree of accessibility:

1. Level A (lowest level):
   • This level contains the minimum requirements for accessibility. It covers basic barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing content at all.
   • Example: Alternative texts for images are mandatory.
2. Level AA (medium level):
   • This level is considered the standard for many organizations and includes more comprehensive requirements to ensure that most people with disabilities have access to web content.
   • Example: Contrast ratios between text and background must be sufficiently high to be legible for visually impaired people.
3. Level AAA (highest level):
   • This level contains the strictest accessibility requirements. It is rarely achieved in full, as it requires very detailed and comprehensive accessibility.
   • Example: All audio content must be supported by subtitles and descriptions.

Most websites strive for Level AA compliance to ensure comprehensive accessibility.

Tools that can be used to test content for compliance with WCAG guidelines

There are various online tools and platforms that you can use to test digital content for compliance with the WCAG guidelines (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). These tools help to check websites and digital content for accessibility and provide suggestions for improvement.

Here are some of the best platforms and tools for WCAG testing:

1 WAVE - Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool

• Website: https://wave.webaim.org/
• Description: WAVE is a free online tool from WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) that checks websites for accessibility. It offers a visual representation of the potential problems on a page and provides information on WCAG conformity.

2. AXE Accessibility Checker

• Website: https://www.deque.com/axe/
• Description: Axe by Deque is a powerful WCAG compliance tool available as a browser extension (for Chrome and Firefox). It can scan websites for accessibility issues and provides clear suggestions for improvement. It is useful for both developers and content creators.

3. google lighthouse

• Website: https://developers.google.com/web/tools/lighthouse
• Description: Lighthouse is an open source tool that is integrated into the Chrome Developer Tools. It provides a detailed analysis of the accessibility of a website and evaluates it according to various criteria, including WCAG guidelines.

4th AChecker

• Website: https://achecker.ca/
• Description: AChecker is a free online tool for checking accessibility. It analyzes websites for compliance with the WCAG guidelines and provides detailed reports on which standards are met and which are not.

5. tenon.io

• Website: https://tenon.io/
• Description: Tenon.io is a professional accessibility checking tool tailored for developers and designers. It offers both manual and automated analysis and takes the WCAG guidelines into account. The tool is chargeable, but offers detailed reports and API access.

6. siteimprove Accessibility Checker

• Website: https://siteimprove.com/en/accessibility/
• Description: Siteimprove offers a comprehensive suite of accessibility testing tools. The tool checks websites for compliance with the WCAG guidelines and provides detailed information on how to improve accessibility. It also offers integrations with popular content management systems such as WordPress.

7. tota11y

• Website: http://khan.github.io/tota11y/
• Description: Tota11y is a simple, visual tool that can be integrated into websites to visualize potential accessibility issues directly on the page. It was developed by Khan Academy and can be used directly in the browser.

8 Accessibility Insights for Web (Microsoft)

• Website: https://accessibilityinsights.io/
• Description: Accessibility Insights is a free tool from Microsoft that is available as a browser extension (for Chrome and Edge). It enables developers and content creators to check their websites for WCAG compliance and provides detailed test reports and step-by-step instructions on how to fix accessibility issues.

9. pa11y

• Website: http://pa11y.org/
• Description: Pa11y is an open source accessibility checking tool. It offers various tools for automated checking of websites and API interfaces and is particularly popular with developers and technical teams.

10 W3C Easy Checks

• Website: https://www.w3.org/WAI/test-evaluate/
• Description: The W3C itself offers tools and instructions for checking accessibility. The "Easy Checks" on the W3C website are a simple way to check the basic WCAG requirements.

Importance of the WCAG guidelines

The WCAG guidelines are important because they ensure that people with disabilities have access to information and services on the web. They promote digital inclusion and help to make the internet accessible to everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive limitations.

Conclusion

The WCAG guidelines originated in 1999 and since then have been the central framework for improving accessibility on the web. They define how web content must be designed to enable access for people with different disabilities and cover four principles: Perceivability, Usability, Comprehensibility and Robustness.