Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: Difference between revisions

WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
	World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) logo
Abbreviation	WCAG
Status	W3C Recommendation
Year started	January 1995
First published	9 May 1999
Latest version	2.2; October 5, 2023; 13 months ago
Preview version	3.0; July 24, 2023; 16 months ago
Organization	W3C, ISO, IEC
Committee	Accessibility Guidelines Working Group
Editors	Andrew Kirkpatrick; Joshue O Connor; Alastair Campbell; Ben Caldwell; Michael Cooper; Loretta Guarino Reid; Gregg Vanderheiden; Wendy Chisholm; John Slatin; Jason White; Rachael Bradley Montgomery; Jeanne Spellman; Shawn Lauriat;
Domain	Web accessibility
Copyright	© 2020–2023 W3C® (MIT, ERCIM, Keio, Beihang).
Website	W3C: www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/; ISO / IEC: www.iso.org/standard/58625.html;

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 07:49, 3 November 2024

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are part of a series of web accessibility guidelines published by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the main international standards organization for the Internet. They are a set of recommendations for making Web content more accessible, primarily for people with disabilities—but also for all user agents, including highly limited devices, such as mobile phones. WCAG 2.0 was published in December 2008 and became an ISO standard, ISO/IEC 40500:2012 in October 2012.^[3] WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023.^[1]

History

Earlier guidelines (1995–1998)

The first web accessibility guideline was compiled by Gregg Vanderheiden and released in January 1995, just after the 1994 Second International Conference on the World-Wide Web (WWW II) in Chicago (where Tim Berners-Lee first mentioned disability access in a keynote speech after seeing a pre-conference workshop on accessibility led by Mike Paciello).^[4]

Over 38 different Web access guidelines followed from various authors and organizations over the next few years.^[5] These were brought together in the Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines compiled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.^[6] Version 8 of the Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines, published in 1998, served as the starting point for the W3C's WCAG 1.0.^[7]

Version 1 (1999–2000)

The WCAG 1.0 were published and became a W3C recommendation on 5 May 1999. In February 2008, The WCAG Samurai, a group of developers independent of the W3C, and led by Joe Clark, published corrections for, and extensions to, the WCAG 1.0.^[8]

Version 2 (2001–present)

The first concept proposal of WCAG 2.0 was published on 25 January 2001. In the following years new versions were published intended to solicit feedback from accessibility experts and members of the disability community. On 27 April 2006 a "Last Call Working Draft" was published.^[9] Due to the many amendments that were necessary, WCAG 2.0 was published again as a concept proposal on 17 May 2007, followed by a second "Last Call Working Draft" on 11 December 2007.^[10]^[11] In April 2008 the guidelines became a "Candidate Recommendation".^[12] On 3 November 2008 the guidelines became a "Proposed Recommendation". WCAG 2.0 was published as a W3C Recommendation on 11 December 2008.^[13]^[14] In October 2012, WCAG 2.0 were accepted by the International Organization for Standardization as an ISO International Standard, ISO/IEC 40500:2012.^[15]^[16]^[17]^[3] In early 2014, WCAG 2.0's Level A and Level AA success criteria were incorporated as references in clause 9.2 ("Web content requirements") of the European standard EN 301 549 published by ETSI.^[18] EN 301 549 was produced in response to a mandate that the European Commission gave to the three official European standardisation bodies (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI) and is the first European standard for ICT products and services.^[19]^[20]

WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023.^[1] Nine new criteria make their definitive debut in this new version of the WCAG standard. New sections have also been introduced that detail aspects of the specification which may impact privacy and security.

Version 3 (under development)

In early 2021, the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group presented the first public working draft (FPWD) of the future WCAG 3.0, intended to provide a range of recommendations for making web content more accessible. The WCAG 3.0 working draft was last updated in May 2024. No part of WCAG 3.0 is an official recommendation at this time. WCAG 3.0 is a draft undergoing significant development efforts, and the expected release date as an official recommendation is not defined.

Versions

Version 1

WCAG 1.0 consist of 14 guidelines—each of which describes a general principle of accessible design. Each guideline covers a basic theme of web accessibility and is associated with one or more checkpoints that describes how to apply that guideline to particular webpage features.

Guideline 1: Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content
Guideline 2: Do not rely on colour alone
Guideline 3: Use markup and style sheets, and do so properly
Guideline 4: Clarify natural language usage
Guideline 5: Create tables that transform gracefully
Guideline 6: Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully
Guideline 7: Ensure user control of time sensitive content changes
Guideline 8: Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces
Guideline 9: Design for device independence
Guideline 10: User interim solutions
Guideline 11: Use W3C technologies and guidelines
Guideline 12: Provide context and orientation information
Guideline 13: Provide clear navigation mechanisms
Guideline 14: Ensure that documents are clear and simple

Each of the in total 65 WCAG 1.0 checkpoints has an assigned priority level based on the checkpoint's impact on accessibility:

Priority 1: Web developers must satisfy these requirements, otherwise it will be impossible for one or more groups to access the Web content. Conformance to this level is described as A.
Priority 2: Web developers should satisfy these requirements, otherwise some groups will find it difficult to access the Web content. Conformance to this level is described as AA or Double-A.
Priority 3: Web developers may satisfy these requirements to make it easier for some groups to access the Web content. Conformance to this level is described as AAA or Triple-A.

Version 2

WCAG 2.0 consist of twelve guidelines organized under four principles (websites must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust). Each guideline has testable success criteria (61 in all).^[21] The W3C's Techniques for WCAG 2.0^[22] is a list of techniques that help authors meet the guidelines and success criteria. The techniques are periodically updated whereas the principles, guidelines and success criteria are stable and do not change.^[23] WCAG 2.0 uses the same three levels of conformance (A, AA, AAA) as WCAG 1.0, but has redefined them. The WCAG working group maintains an extensive list of web accessibility techniques and common failure cases for WCAG 2.0.^[24]

WCAG 2.1 is backwards-compatible with WCAG 2.0, which it extends with a further 17 success criteria.

WCAG 2.2 is backwards-compatible with WCAG 2.1 extending it a further nine success criteria and with WCAG 2.0 extending it a further 26 success criteria (including the 17 success criteria introduced by WCAG 2.1). Additionally, WCAG 2.2 has deprecated and removed the 4.1.1 success criterion.^[25]

WCAG 2 Guidelines
Principles	Guidelines	Success Criteria	Conformance Level	Revision
1: Perceivable	1.1 Text Alternatives	1.1.1 Non-text Content	A	2.0
	1.2 Time-based Media	1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)	A	2.0
		1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded)	A	2.0
		1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)	A	2.0
		1.2.4 Captions (Live)	AA	2.0
		1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded)	AA	2.0
		1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded)	AAA	2.0
		1.2.7 Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded)	AAA	2.0
		1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded)	AAA	2.0
		1.2.9 Audio-only (Live)	AAA	2.0
	1.3 Adaptable	1.3.1 Info and Relationships	A	2.0
		1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence	A	2.0
		1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics	A	2.0
		1.3.4 Orientation	AA	2.1
		1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose	AA	2.1
		1.3.6 Identify Purpose	AAA	2.1
	1.4 Distinguishable	1.4.1 Use of Color	A	2.0
		1.4.2 Audio Control	A	2.0
		1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)	AA	2.0
		1.4.4 Resize text	AA	2.0
		1.4.5 Images of Text	AA	2.0
		1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced)	AAA	2.0
		1.4.7 Low or No Background Audio	AAA	2.0
		1.4.8 Visual Presentation	AAA	2.0
		1.4.9 Images of Text (No Exception)	AAA	2.0
		1.4.10 Reflow	AA	2.1
		1.4.11 Non-Text Contrast	AA	2.1
		1.4.12 Text Spacing	AA	2.1
		1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus	AA	2.1
2: Operable	2.1 Keyboard Accessible	2.1.1 Keyboard	A	2.0
		2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap	A	2.0
		2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception)	AAA	2.0
		2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts	A	2.1
	2.2 Enough Time	2.2.1 Timing Adjustable	A	2.0
		2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide	A	2.0
		2.2.3 No Timing	AAA	2.0
		2.2.4 Interruptions	AAA	2.0
		2.2.5 Re-authenticating	AAA	2.0
		2.2.6 Timeouts	AAA	2.1
	2.3 Seizures	2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold	A	2.0
		2.3.2 Three Flashes	AAA	2.0
		2.3.3 Animation from Interactions	AAA	2.1
	2.4 Navigable	2.4.1 Bypass Blocks	A	2.0
		2.4.2 Page Titled	A	2.0
		2.4.3 Focus Order	A	2.0
		2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)	A	2.0
		2.4.5 Multiple Ways	AA	2.0
		2.4.6 Headings and Labels	AA	2.0
		2.4.7 Focus Visible	AA	2.0
		2.4.8 Location	AAA	2.0
		2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only)	AAA	2.0
		2.4.10 Section Headings	AAA	2.0
		2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)	AA	2.2
		2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced)	AAA	2.2
		2.4.13 Focus Appearance	AAA	2.2
	2.5 Input Modalities	2.5.1 Pointer Gestures	A	2.1
		2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation	A	2.1
		2.5.3 Label in Name	A	2.1
		2.5.4 Motion Actuation	A	2.1
		2.5.5 Target Size	AAA	2.1
		2.5.6 Concurrent Input Mechanisms	AAA	2.1
		2.5.7 Dragging Movements	AA	2.2
		2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum)	AA	2.2
3: Understandable	3.1 Readable	3.1.1 Language of Page	A	2.0
		3.1.2 Language of Parts	AA	2.0
		3.1.3 Unusual Words	AAA	2.0
		3.1.4 Abbreviations	AAA	2.0
		3.1.5 Reading Level	AAA	2.0
		3.1.6 Pronunciation	AAA	2.0
	3.2 Predictable	3.2.1 On Focus	A	2.0
		3.2.2 On Input	A	2.0
		3.2.3 Consistent Navigation	AA	2.0
		3.2.4 Consistent Identification	AA	2.0
		3.2.5 Change on Request	AAA	2.0
		3.2.6 Consistent Help	A	2.2
	3.3 Input Assistance	3.3.1 Error Identification	A	2.0
		3.3.2 Labels or Instructions	A	2.0
		3.3.3 Error Suggestion	AA	2.0
		3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)	AA	2.0
		3.3.5 Help	AAA	2.0
		3.3.6 Error Prevention (All)	AAA	2.0
		3.3.7 Redundant Entry	A	2.2
		3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum)	AA	2.2
		3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced)	AAA	2.2
4: Robust	4.1 Compatible	~~4.1.1 Parsing~~ (deprecated by WCAG 2.2^[25])	A	~~2.0~~
		4.1.2 Name, Role, Value	A	2.0
		4.1.3 Status Messages	AA	2.1

WCAG referenced by law

This section only refers to specific instances where WCAG, or a closely related derivative thereof, is specifically codified into law. There are many laws relating to accessibility in general and which may apply to websites, though they do not necessarily refer to WCAG. It is nevertheless considered prudent to follow WCAG guidelines to help protect against potential lawsuits relating to accessibility.^[26]

Some jurisdictions are moving to build legislation around the latest recommended release of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative. This ensures that the policies remain evergreen.

United States

In 2013, the US Department of Transportation amended the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) to require Airlines make their websites accessible, requiring conformance to WCAG 2.0, meeting Level AA Success Criteria.^[27]

In January 2017, the US Access Board approved a final rule to update Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The new rule adopts seventeen WCAG 2.0 success criteria, but 22 of the 38 existing A-level and AA-level criteria were already covered by existing Section 508 guidelines. The rule requires adherence to the new standards twelve months from its date of publication in the federal register.^[28]^[29]

In December, 2021 the 11th circuit court vacated a sometimes-cited case from 2017, which had referred to the WCAG guidelines as "industry standard". The 11th circuit court's ruling rendered the 2017 case moot.^[30] As such, the case is no longer citable as caselaw. On March 2, 2022, the 11th circuit court refused to rehear the case.

On April 24, 2024, the Federal Register published the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) final rule updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The final rule states that the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA is the technical standard for state and local governments’ web content and mobile apps.^[31]

European Union

Directive 2016/2102^[32] requires websites and mobile applications of public sector (i.e. government) bodies to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA.^[33]^[34] As of June 2021, the directive covers websites and mobile apps.^[35] The European Parliament approved the directive in October 2016,^[32] the European Commission updated the WCAG reference from 2.0 to 2.1 in December 2018.^[34]

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) will become legally applicable in EU member states on 28 June 2025. The EAA will require websites, apps, ebooks, ecommerce platforms, PDFs and others to conform to WCAG 2.1 AA criteria within the EU.

United Kingdom

In September 2018, website and mobile app accessibility regulations for the public sector came into force, titled the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018, which currently applies the WCAG 2.1 AA level to websites operated by the "public sector", which means government agencies or organizations funded by the government, with some exclusions. The UK government published Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies^[36] to guide compliance.

The UK government is yet to announce if it will confirm the European Accessibility Act (EAA) into local law, but companies in the UK and outside of the EU will need to comply with EAA if they sell products or services in any EU member state.^[37]

Canada

Regulations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 require that public web content of certain Ontario organizations complies with WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

The 2010/2012 Jodhan decision^[38] caused the Canadian federal government to require all online web pages, documents and videos available externally and internally to meet the accessibility requirements of WCAG 2.0.^[39]

Australia

The Australian government has also mandated via the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 that all Australian government websites meet the WCAG 2.0 level A accessibility requirements.^[40]

Israel

The Israeli Ministry of Justice published regulations in early 2014, requiring Internet websites to comply with Israeli Standard 5568, which is based on the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.

The main differences between the Israeli standard and the W3C standard concern the requirements to provide captions and texts for audio and video media. The Israeli standards are somewhat more lenient, reflecting the current technical difficulties in providing such captions and texts in Hebrew.^[41]^[42]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Campbell, Alastair; Adams, Chuck; Montgomery, Rachel Bradley; Cooper, Michael; Kirkpatrick, Andrew, eds. (5 October 2023). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2". 2.2. W3C. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
^ Spellman, Jeanne; Montgomery, Rachael Bradley; Cooper, Michael; Lauriat, Shawn; Adams, Chuck; Campbell, Alastair, eds. (24 July 2023). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0". 3.0. W3C. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c "ISO - ISO/IEC 40500:2012 - Information technology — W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0". ISO. ISO, IEC. 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
^ Vanderheiden, Gregg C. (31 January 1995). "Design of HTML (Mosaic) Pages to Increase their Accessibility to Users with Disabilities; Strategies for Today and Tomorrow". Trace Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ "References: Designing Accessible HTML Pages -- guidelines and overview documents". World Wide Web Consortium. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ "Trace Center". Trace Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Vanderheiden, Gregg C.; Chisholm, Wendy A., eds. (20 January 1998). "Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines". Trace Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ "Home Page". WCAG Samurai. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013.
^ Caldwell, Ben; Chisholm, Wendy; Slatin, John; Vanderheiden, Gregg, eds. (27 April 2006). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 – W3C Working Draft 27 April 2006". W3C. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
^ Caldwell, Ben; Cooper, Michael; Guarino Reid, Loretta; Vanderheiden, Gregg; Chisholm, Wendy; Slatin, John; White, Jason, eds. (17 May 2007). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 – W3C Working Draft 17 May 2007". W3C. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
^ Caldwell, Ben; Cooper, Michael; Guarino Reid, Loretta; Vanderheiden, Gregg; Chisholm, Wendy; Slatin, John; White, Jason, eds. (11 December 2017). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 – W3C Working Draft 11 December 2007". W3C. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
^ "WCAG 2.0 Candidate Recommendation Implementation Information". W3C. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
^ "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 – W3C Recommendation 11 December 2008". W3.org. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
^ W3C: W3C Web Standard Defines Accessibility for Next Generation Web Archived 12 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine (press release, 11 December 2008).
^ Henry, Shawn (15 October 2012). "WCAG 2.0 is now also ISO/IEC 40500!". World Wide Web Consortium. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
^ "W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 approved as an ISO/IEC International Standard". World Wide Web Consortium. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
^ "ISO/IEC 40500:2012 - Information technology -- W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0". ISO. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
^ ETSI: EN 301 549 V1.1.1 (2014-02): Accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services in Europe Archived 31 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 27 November 2015.
^ CEN-CENELEC: New European Standard will help to make ICT products and services accessible for all Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine. 19 February 2014. Accessed 27 November 2015.
^ CEN-CENELEC: Mandate 376 Archived 10 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. (No date). Accessed 27 November 2015.
^ "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0". W3C. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
^ "Techniques for WCAG 2.0". W3C. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
^ "Understanding Techniques for WCAG Success Criteria". W3C. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
^ "Techniques for WCAG 2.0". W3.org. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2". W3.org. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
^ "Disabled access to websites under UK law". Out-Law.com. October 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^ "Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel: Accessibility of Web Sites and Automated Kiosks at U.S. Airports" (PDF). transportation.gov. US Department of Transportation. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
^ "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Final Standards and Guidelines" (PDF). United States Access Board. 9 January 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
^ "Final Regulatory Impact Analysis: Final Rule to Update the Section 508 Standards and Section 255 Guidelines". United States Access Board. 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 15 March 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
^ "Eleventh Circuit Vacates Gil v. Winn-Dixie Opinion Due to Mootness". Retrieved 7 December 2022.
^ "Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments - ADA.gov". Retrieved 3 July 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies (Text with EEA relevance)". Publications Office of the European Union. 26 October 2016. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
^ "COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union concerning the position of the Council on the adoption of a Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies". Publications Office of the European Union. 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/2048 of 20 December 2018 on the harmonised standard for websites and mobile applications drafted in support of Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council". Publications Office of the European Union. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
^ "DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/2102 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies, Article 12". Publications Office of the European Union. 26 October 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
^ "Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies". Central Digital & Data Office. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
^ "How The European Accessibility Act may Impact UK Websites". www.ronins.co.uk. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
^ "Jodhan decision". Ccdonline.ca. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
^ "Canadian Treasury Board Secretariat Standard on Web Accessibility". Tbs-sct.gc.ca. 1 August 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
^ "Accessibility". Web Guide. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
^ "Making the web accessible". Gov.il. State of Israel. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
^ "Website Accessibility Requirements". Israel Technology Law Blog. Archived from the original on 28 September 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

External links

W3C – Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
W3C – Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) introduction to WCAG
Mauve, a free online accessibility validator, developed by HIIS Lab – ISTI of CNR of Pisa (Italy).
WAVE – Online accessibility validator
WCAG 2.0 checklist
Achieving WCAG 2.0 with PDF/UA – Document published by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM)
WCAG for eLearning - Training Accessibility Guidelines
Digital Accessibility WCAG AA Checklist: 10 Critical Elements to Evaluate for Website Accessibility
WCAG Samurai Errata
The History of Digital Accessibility and Why it Matters

[wcag-22-1] Campbell, Alastair; Adams, Chuck; Montgomery, Rachel Bradley; Cooper, Michael; Kirkpatrick, Andrew, eds. (5 October 2023). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2". 2.2. W3C. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.

[wcag-30-2] Spellman, Jeanne; Montgomery, Rachael Bradley; Cooper, Michael; Lauriat, Shawn; Adams, Chuck; Campbell, Alastair, eds. (24 July 2023). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0". 3.0. W3C. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.

[iso-standard-3] "ISO - ISO/IEC 40500:2012 - Information technology — W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0". ISO. ISO, IEC. 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2021.

[4] Vanderheiden, Gregg C. (31 January 1995). "Design of HTML (Mosaic) Pages to Increase their Accessibility to Users with Disabilities; Strategies for Today and Tomorrow". Trace Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[5] "References: Designing Accessible HTML Pages -- guidelines and overview documents". World Wide Web Consortium. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[6] "Trace Center". Trace Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[7] Vanderheiden, Gregg C.; Chisholm, Wendy A., eds. (20 January 1998). "Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines". Trace Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[8] "Home Page". WCAG Samurai. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013.

[9] Caldwell, Ben; Chisholm, Wendy; Slatin, John; Vanderheiden, Gregg, eds. (27 April 2006). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 – W3C Working Draft 27 April 2006". W3C. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2021.

[10] Caldwell, Ben; Cooper, Michael; Guarino Reid, Loretta; Vanderheiden, Gregg; Chisholm, Wendy; Slatin, John; White, Jason, eds. (17 May 2007). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 – W3C Working Draft 17 May 2007". W3C. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2021.

[11] Caldwell, Ben; Cooper, Michael; Guarino Reid, Loretta; Vanderheiden, Gregg; Chisholm, Wendy; Slatin, John; White, Jason, eds. (11 December 2017). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 – W3C Working Draft 11 December 2007". W3C. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2021.

[12] "WCAG 2.0 Candidate Recommendation Implementation Information". W3C. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2014.

[13] "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 – W3C Recommendation 11 December 2008". W3.org. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2013.

[14] W3C: W3C Web Standard Defines Accessibility for Next Generation Web Archived 12 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine (press release, 11 December 2008).

[W3C-ISO-15] Henry, Shawn (15 October 2012). "WCAG 2.0 is now also ISO/IEC 40500!". World Wide Web Consortium. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2012.

[W3C-announce-16] "W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 approved as an ISO/IEC International Standard". World Wide Web Consortium. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.

[ISO-17] "ISO/IEC 40500:2012 - Information technology -- W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0". ISO. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2012.

[18] ETSI: EN 301 549 V1.1.1 (2014-02): Accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services in Europe Archived 31 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 27 November 2015.

[19] CEN-CENELEC: New European Standard will help to make ICT products and services accessible for all Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine. 19 February 2014. Accessed 27 November 2015.

[20] CEN-CENELEC: Mandate 376 Archived 10 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. (No date). Accessed 27 November 2015.

[21] "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0". W3C. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2014.

[22] "Techniques for WCAG 2.0". W3C. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.

[23] "Understanding Techniques for WCAG Success Criteria". W3C. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.

[24] "Techniques for WCAG 2.0". W3.org. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.

[wcag-22-411-25] "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2". W3.org. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.

[outlaw-26] "Disabled access to websites under UK law". Out-Law.com. October 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.

[27] "Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel: Accessibility of Web Sites and Automated Kiosks at U.S. Airports" (PDF). transportation.gov. US Department of Transportation. Retrieved 21 December 2022.

[28] "Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Final Standards and Guidelines" (PDF). United States Access Board. 9 January 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2017.

[29] "Final Regulatory Impact Analysis: Final Rule to Update the Section 508 Standards and Section 255 Guidelines". United States Access Board. 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 15 March 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2017.

[30] "Eleventh Circuit Vacates Gil v. Winn-Dixie Opinion Due to Mootness". Retrieved 7 December 2022.

[31] "Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments - ADA.gov". Retrieved 3 July 2024.

[directive-2016-2102-32] "Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies (Text with EEA relevance)". Publications Office of the European Union. 26 October 2016. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.

[33] "COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union concerning the position of the Council on the adoption of a Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies". Publications Office of the European Union. 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2017.

[cid-2018-2048-34] "Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/2048 of 20 December 2018 on the harmonised standard for websites and mobile applications drafted in support of Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council". Publications Office of the European Union. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.

[35] "DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/2102 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies, Article 12". Publications Office of the European Union. 26 October 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.

[36] "Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies". Central Digital & Data Office. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.

[37] "How The European Accessibility Act may Impact UK Websites". www.ronins.co.uk. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.

[38] "Jodhan decision". Ccdonline.ca. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.

[39] "Canadian Treasury Board Secretariat Standard on Web Accessibility". Tbs-sct.gc.ca. 1 August 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.

[40] "Accessibility". Web Guide. Retrieved 20 December 2022.

[41] "Making the web accessible". Gov.il. State of Israel. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

[42] "Website Accessibility Requirements". Israel Technology Law Blog. Archived from the original on 28 September 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

v t e Web accessibility
Guidelines	Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Software	accessiBe Bobby Dragon NaturallySpeaking Easy Chirp ZAC Browser NonVisual Desktop Access VoiceOver ZoomText
Organizations	AnySurfer Deque Systems Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund International Association of Accessibility Professionals Knowbility Oswald Labs WebAIM Web Accessibility Initiative

v t e ISO standards by standard number
List of ISO standards – ISO romanizations – IEC standards
1–9999	1 2 3 4 6 7 9 16 17 31 -0 -1 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 68-1 128 216 217 226 228 233 259 261 262 302 306 361 500 518 519 639 -1 -2 -3 -5 -6 646 657 668 690 704 732 764 838 843 860 898 965 999 1000 1004 1007 1073-1 1073-2 1155 1413 1538 1629 1745 1989 2014 2015 2022 2033 2047 2108 2145 2146 2240 2281 2533 2709 2711 2720 2788 2848 2852 2921 3029 3103 3166 -1 -2 -3 3297 3307 3601 3602 3864 3901 3950 3977 4031 4157 4165 4217 4909 5218 5426 5427 5428 5725 5775 5776 5800 5807 5964 6166 6344 6346 6373 6385 6425 6429 6438 6523 6709 6943 7001 7002 7010 7027 7064 7098 7185 7200 7498 -1 7637 7736 7810 7811 7812 7813 7816 7942 8000 8093 8178 8217 8373 8501-1 8571 8583 8601 8613 8632 8651 8652 8691 8805/8806 8807 8820-5 8859 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -8-I -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 8879 9000/9001 9036 9075 9126 9141 9227 9241 9293 9314 9362 9407 9496 9506 9529 9564 9592/9593 9594 9660 9797-1 9897 9899 9945 9984 9985 9995
10000–19999	10006 10007 10116 10118-3 10160 10161 10165 10179 10206 10218 10279 10303 -11 -21 -22 -28 -238 10383 10585 10589 10628 10646 10664 10746 10861 10957 10962 10967 11073 11170 11172 11179 11404 11544 11783 11784 11785 11801 11889 11898 11940 (-2) 11941 11941 (TR) 11992 12006 12052 12182 12207 12234-2 12620 13211 -1 -2 13216 13250 13399 13406-2 13450 13485 13490 13567 13568 13584 13616 13816 13818 14000 14031 14224 14289 14396 14443 14496 -2 -3 -6 -10 -11 -12 -14 -17 -20 14617 14644 14649 14651 14698 14764 14882 14971 15022 15189 15288 15291 15398 15408 15444 -3 -9 15445 15438 15504 15511 15686 15693 15706 -2 15707 15897 15919 15924 15926 15926 WIP 15930 15938 16023 16262 16355-1 16485 16612-2 16750 16949 (TS) 17024 17025 17100 17203 17369 17442 17506 17799 18004 18014 18181 18245 18629 18916 19005 19011 19092 -1 -2 19114 19115 19125 19136 19407 19439 19500 19501 19502 19503 19505 19506 19507 19508 19509 19510 19600 19752 19757 19770 19775-1 19794-5 19831
20000–29999	20000 20022 20121 20400 20802 20830 21000 21001 21047 21122 21500 21827 22000 22275 22300 22301 22395 22537 23000 23003 23008 23009 23090-3 23092 23094-1 23094-2 23270 23271 23360 23941 24517 24613 24617 24707 24728 25178 25964 26000 26262 26300 26324 27000 series 27000 27001 27002 27005 27006 27729 28000 29110 29148 29199-2 29500
30000+	30170 31000 32000 37001 38500 39075 40500 42010 45001 50001 55000 56000 80000
Category