WEB CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES

The global standard fordigital inclusion

WCAG defines how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities—and better for everyone.

Compliance Target

WCAG 2.2 AA

Standard
Perceivable19criteria
Operable23criteria
Understandable14criteria
Robust3criteria
Total: 59 success criteriaLevel AA

25 Years of Web Accessibility

The evolution of WCAG standards

1999

WCAG 1.0

First guidelines released

2008

WCAG 2.0

Technology-neutral approach

2018

WCAG 2.1

Mobile & cognitive support

2023

WCAG 2.2

Authentication & navigation

Draft

WCAG 3.0

Outcome-based testing

In Progress

THE POUR FRAMEWORK

Four pillars of accessible design

Every WCAG guideline maps to one of these principles. Master these, and you understand accessibility.

P

Perceivable

Users must be able to perceive the information being presented. It can't be invisible to all of their senses.

Alt text for imagesCaptions for videoSufficient color contrast
O

Operable

Users must be able to operate the interface. The interface cannot require interaction that a user cannot perform.

Keyboard accessibilityEnough time to readNo seizure-inducing content
U

Understandable

Users must be able to understand the information and operation of the user interface.

Readable textPredictable navigationInput assistance
R

Robust

Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

Valid HTMLARIA when neededFuture compatibility

CONFORMANCE LEVELS

Choose your compliance target

Level AA is the gold standard for most organizations—it's the legal standard for most regulations.

A
30
criteria

Level A: Minimum

Essential barriers removed

Starting point only
Recommended
AA
50
criteria

Level AA: Standard

Most barriers addressed

Legal compliance target
AAA
78
criteria

Level AAA: Enhanced

Maximum accessibility

Specialized audiences

THE BUSINESS CASE

Accessibility isn't optional—
it's essential

Beyond the legal requirements, accessibility opens your product to a massive market and improves experience for everyone.

1.3Bpeople globally live with disabilities
4,600+ADA lawsuits filed in 2023 alone
15%of web users need accessibility features

Ready to make your site accessible?

See exactly how A11yCore covers 60+ WCAG success criteria with our detailed compliance breakdown.