WCAG Compliance Guide

Make Your Website Accessible to Everyone

(That's what WCAG compliance means)

Website accessibility isn't just the right thing to do. It's the law. The ADA, Section 508, and European laws require websites to work for people with disabilities. We make compliance simple, affordable, and automatic.

FOR AGENCIES

White-label solutions

FOR BUSINESS

$10/month compliance

FOR ENTERPRISE

Custom solutions

Start Free Trial - $10/Month Agency Partner Program

WCAG 2.2 Ready

All Success Criteria

WCAG 2.2 Standards

Guidelines13

Success Criteria78

Compliance LevelsA/AA/AAA

AllAccessible Coverage100%

Updated for WCAG 2.2 (June 2023)

Understanding WCAG Principles

WCAG is built on four fundamental principles that ensure web content is accessible to all users

Perceivable

Information and UI components must be presentable in ways users can perceive

Text alternatives for images

Captions for videos

Sufficient color contrast

Resizable text

Operable

UI components and navigation must be operable by all users

Keyboard accessible

No seizure triggers

Sufficient time limits

Clear navigation

Understandable

Information and UI operation must be understandable

Readable text

Predictable functionality

Input assistance

Consistent navigation

Robust

Content must be robust enough for various assistive technologies

Valid HTML/CSS

ARIA labels

Compatible markup

Future-proof code

Guidelines

Core principles

Success Criteria

Testable outcomes

300+

Techniques

Implementation methods

90+

Failures

Common mistakes

Who Benefits from WCAG?

15%

Global Population

Over 1 billion people worldwide have disabilities

100%

Better Experience

Accessibility improvements benefit all users

40%

Aging Population

Will experience disability as they age

Ready to work toward WCAG compliance?

AllAccessible identifies WCAG issues and automatically fixes many of them. Our AI handles what it can, then provides your team with detailed guidance for issues requiring manual remediation. Real-time monitoring helps you track progress and maintain compliance over time.

WCAG Version Timeline

Understanding the evolution of web accessibility standards

WCAG 2.0

2008

The foundational version that established modern web accessibility standards

Original 61 success criteria

Four core principles (POUR)

Three conformance levels

Technology-agnostic approach

2.0

WCAG 2.1

2018Standard

+17

Expanded coverage for mobile devices and users with cognitive disabilities

Mobile accessibility

Low vision requirements

Cognitive disabilities support

Orientation & motion features

2.1

WCAG 2.2

2023Latest

Further refinements for cognitive accessibility and user authentication

Focus appearance enhancement

Dragging alternatives

Accessible authentication

Redundant entry removal

2.2

WCAG 3.0

In Development

TBD

Major overhaul focusing on outcomes rather than technical requirements

Complete restructuring

Outcome-based testing

Scoring system

Broader scope beyond web

3.0

What's New in WCAG 2.2

WCAG 2.2 became the W3C Recommendation in October 2023, adding 9 new success criteria focused on improving accessibility for users with cognitive disabilities and enhancing mobile accessibility.

2.4.11 - Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)

Focused elements are not entirely hidden by other content

2.4.12 - Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced)

AAA

Focused elements are not partially hidden by other content

2.4.13 - Focus Appearance

Focus indicators meet minimum size and contrast requirements

2.5.7 - Dragging Movements

Functionality that uses dragging has alternatives

2.5.8 - Target Size (Minimum)

Interactive targets are at least 24x24 CSS pixels

3.2.6 - Consistent Help

Help mechanisms appear in consistent locations

3.3.7 - Redundant Entry

Previously entered information is auto-populated or optional

3.3.8 - Accessible Authentication (Minimum)

No cognitive function tests required for authentication

3.3.9 - Accessible Authentication (Enhanced)

AAA

No cognitive tests or recognition required for authentication

📚View Complete WCAG 2.2 Guidelines Reference→

Explore all 86 success criteria with detailed explanations and practical examples

How AllAccessible Helps

AllAccessible identifies WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 compliance issues and automatically remediates many of them. Our AI handles what it can, and provides detailed guidance for issues that require developer intervention. While we can't guarantee 100% automatic compliance, we give your team the tools, reports, and recommendations needed to achieve and maintain WCAG conformance.

WCAG Compliance Levels

Three levels of conformance to meet different needs and requirements

Level A

Minimum

Essential accessibility features that all websites must have

Success Criteria25

Key Requirements:

Alt text for images

Keyboard navigation

Form labels

Error identification

Basic usability for users with disabilities

Recommended

Level AA

Recommended

Standard level of accessibility for most websites

Success Criteria38

Key Requirements:

All Level A criteria

Enhanced contrast

Resize text

Multiple ways to find pages

Removes significant barriers for most users

Level AAA

Enhanced

Highest level of accessibility for specialized contexts

Success Criteria61

Key Requirements:

All Level AA criteria

Enhanced contrast

Sign language

Extended audio descriptions

Maximum accessibility for all users

Quick Comparison

Feature	Level A	Level AA	Level AAA
Color Contrast (Normal Text)	No requirement	4.5:1	7:1
Color Contrast (Large Text)	No requirement	3:1	4.5:1
Text Resize	No requirement	Up to 200%	Up to 200%
Audio Description	Pre-recorded	Pre-recorded	Live & Extended
Compliance Difficulty	Achievable	Recommended	Challenging

Our Recommendation: Level AA

Level AA is the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility. It's required by many laws including the ADA, Section 508, and European Accessibility Act. It provides meaningful access without being overly burdensome to implement.

Note: Level AAA is not recommended as a general standard because it's not possible to satisfy all criteria for all content types. It's best used for specific, critical content.