International Standard for Inclusive Digital Design

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

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What is WCAG?

WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – a set of directions aimed at making the online environment more welcoming to people with disabilities.
They provide a clear, technical, and measurable framework for designing accessible websites, apps, and digital content.
By conforming to WCAG guidelines, website owners ensure their content is easily accessible to all users, as well as compliant with a broad range of legal mandates.
Thanks to their effectiveness and comprehensiveness, these guidelines became a de facto global standard for internet accessibility and inclusivity.

Is making your website WCAG-compliant mandatory?

WCAG is a technical standard and guidance document – not a law in itself. However, it is either directly referenced, embedded, or used as a practical compliance benchmark in a host of global accessibility laws/standards, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), European Accessibility Act (EAA), EN 301 549, UK Accessibility Law, and many others. Since compliance with these laws is mandatory where they apply (and even enforced by courts and regulatory bodies), conformance to the referenced WCAG version/level is often required to avoid legal or regulatory actions.

WCAG Principles

  • Perceivable

    Digital content and user interface (UI) elements must offer alternative presentation methods, enabling people with different disabilities to perceive them effectively. This may entail integration features such as color contrast adjustment, text resizing, or captions for videos.

  • Operable

    A key part of making a site WCAG compliant includes ensuring users are able to interact with and navigate the UI in the way most suitable to their needs, such as via keyboard shortcuts, voice commands, or other input methods.

  • Understandable

    The content and UI must be easy to comprehend. Instructions should be clear, navigation intuitive, the layout simple and predictable, and menus consistent throughout the website.

  • Robust

    In order to be WCAG-compliant, content must be devised in a way that makes it reliably interpreted by a broad array of devices and assistive technologies, such as screen readers, magnification apps, and speech recognition software.

Benefits of making a site WCAG-compliant

  • 01

    Meet legal obligations

    Conforming to WCAG accessibility standards helps your organization meet mandated legal requirements, thereby mitigating the risk of recourse or enforcement under ADA, EAA, and similar applicable laws.

  • 02

    Expand your audience

    Creating an inclusive digital environment means eliminating barriers that more than 16 billion people worldwide face every day. By extension, this also means you’ll be able to cater to the needs of a broader range of users, including groups that are too often severely underserved.

  • 03

    Secure new business opportunities

    Conformance to WCAG can be demonstrated by globally recognized compliance documentation, such as VPAT, showcasing that your product or service meets accessibility and regulatory standards. This can be essential in helping you retain existing contracts and securing new business opportunities.

Frequently
Asked
Questions

How to make a website WCAG-compliant? 

To make your website conformant, you should follow the Guidelines’ POUR principle – making the content Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. This can be achieved by implementing features, such as image alt text, keyboard accessibility, color contrast adjustment, text scalability, video captions, voice recognition, and similar forms of assistive technologies.

The best way to do this is to integrate accessibility throughout the website’s lifecycle – from design to deployment. If your site is already live, you don’t have to worry, as there are reliable methods to meet the standards set by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, but be aware that you’ll need the help of specialists for accessibility and WCAG in both cases.

Is WCAG 3.0 released? 

No – as of September 2025, WCAG 3.0 is still under development, and its final release date has not yet been determined. The “Working Draft” was released on September 4, 2025, with updates and guidelines that have reached the “development” status, but the final version likely won’t be finalized within the next 4 to 5 years (i.e., 2029 – 2030). Therefore, the current stable version – WCAG 2.2 – remains the global accessibility standard.

Is WCAG a legal requirement? 

Technically, no, but practically yes. While WCAG is not a law in itself and therefore not legally binding, it’s referenced or embedded into major laws, such as ADA, EAA, and UK Accessibility Law. Since compliance with these regulations is mandatory, that means that adherence to the Guidelines also is, by extension.

Is ADA compliance the same as WCAG? 

In short, no – the two are not the same:

  • The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is a U.S. civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
  • The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a set of technical standards for digital accessibility.

However, WCAG is often used as a benchmark by courts and regulatory bodies to assess (or enforce) ADA compliance.

Where can I find experts for WCAG compliance & general accessibility? 

includeUs specializes in helping organizations of all sizes achieve compliance with global accessibility laws, including making their websites conformant to the WCAG guidelines. Our team of experts provides comprehensive guidance through audits, design improvements, and obtaining VPAT documentation, ensuring your site is inclusive, user-friendly, and meets all regulatory requirements. Connect with us today for a free consultation, and let’s help your message reach the broadest audience possible!