Definition
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
WCAG is the international standard defining how to make web content accessible to people with disabilities, covering things like screen reader compatibility, color contrast, and keyboard navigation.
WCAG defines three conformance levels (A, AA, and AAA), with Level AA the most commonly required standard for legal compliance, including under the US Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the UK’s Equality Act. Meeting WCAG isn’t just a legal safeguard — it also directly improves usability for a large percentage of users who rely on assistive technology or have temporary or situational impairments.
WCAG in practice
Following WCAG in practice means adding descriptive alt text to images, making sure text has enough contrast against its background, letting every button and form work with a keyboard alone, and labelling form fields so screen readers can announce them.
Common questions about WCAG
What are the WCAG conformance levels?
There are three: A (minimum), AA (the level most laws and policies require) and AAA (the highest, not usually required for whole sites).
What is the current version of WCAG?
WCAG 2.2, published by the W3C in October 2023. It builds on 2.1 and adds criteria such as minimum target sizes and accessible authentication.
Is WCAG compliance a legal requirement?
In many places, yes, directly or indirectly. In the US, website accessibility lawsuits under the ADA commonly use WCAG 2.1 AA as the benchmark, and the European Accessibility Act applies from June 2025.
How do you test a website against WCAG?
Use automated tools to catch common issues, then test manually with a keyboard and a screen reader, because automated scanners only catch part of the problems. A proper audit combines both.
