W3C accessibility standards:

W3C accessibility standards:

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
• Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG)
• User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG)
• Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA)

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The W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines four principles:

1. Perceivable - Information can be presented in different ways; for example, in braille, different text sizes, text-to-speech, or symbols, etc.
2. Operable - Functionality can be used in different modalities; for example, keyboard, mouse, sip-and-puff, speech input, touch, etc.
3. Understandable - Information and functionality is understandable; for example consistent navigation, simple language, etc.
4. Robust - Content can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of browsers, media players, and assistive technologies.

There are currently two stable versions of WCAG that are both supported by W3C:

• WCAG 2.0 was published in December 2008, and has become widely adopted as the standard for web accessibility by many businesses and governments around the world. It defines 12 Guidelines under the four POUR principles. Under each Guideline there are more specific Success Criteria divided into three Conformance Levels: A, AA, and AAA. WCAG 2.0 defines 61 Success Criteria.
• WCAG 2.1 was published in June 2018, to better address accessibility for people with cognitive and learning disabilities, people with low vision, and people with disabilities using mobile devices. WCAG 2.1 is fully backward compatible with WCAG 2.0, so that if your content conforms to WCAG 2.1 it also conforms to WCAG 2.0. WCAG 2.1 defines 13 Guidelines and 78 Success Criteria.

Many policies require conformance to WCAG Level AA. Sometimes WCAG is adopted directly, for example by reference, in a policy. At other times it is adopted indirectly, for example through the European Standard "EN 301 549", which includes all requirements from WCAG 2.1.

WCAG is a normative W3C web standard called W3C Recommendation. It is designed to be technology-agnostic so that it applies to different technologies. For example, WCAG does not specify how to code a heading, list, or table. Instead, it requires that such structures are present. This allows WCAG to be applicable to a wide range of technologies including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as many types of mobile apps, electronic documents, and other digital content.

WCAG is supported by non-normative (informative) technical guidance. These are not W3C web standards and can therefore be more regularly updated, for example to address current changes in technology.

This includes:

• Understanding WCAG 2 provides background and explanation of the requirements, such as who it benefits and examples. It is a very useful resource for people learning the standard.
• Techniques for WCAG 2 provides documented ways of meeting the Success Criteria defined by WCAG, advisory good practice, as well as commonly encountered failures in accessibility.
• How to Meet WCAG 2 (sometimes called Quick Reference) brings all this information together in a dynamic widget with filters to help you select only the information you currently need.

Further reading (optional)

• W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview

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Our world is increasingly interconnected, especially online, affecting accessibility for people with disabilities. Differing national web accessibility standards can create conflicts, complicating development and limiting shared resources. Many countries now adopt WCAG as a global standard, improving awareness, support, and implementation.

W3C develops web standards like WCAG through an open, collaborative process involving diverse stakeholders, including people with disabilities, industry, governments, researchers, and educators. Regular public reviews ensure broad input and refinement.

Further reading (optional)

• Why Standards Harmonization is Essential to Web Accessibility
• Web Accessibility Laws and Policies
• World Wide Web Consortium Process Document

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These are all essential components of web accessibility:

• People: Users, including those with disabilities, are at the center of accessibility considerations.
• Authoring tools: Software (e.g., CMS, website builders) must support the creation of accessible content.
• User agents: Browsers and assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers) must correctly interpret and present accessible content.
• Web content: The actual information and functionality must be designed to be accessible.

These components work together to ensure an inclusive web experience.

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