The Ultimate Guide to WCAG Compliance in 2023
Web accessibility plays a crucial and strategic role in ensuring that all websites and web applications are built as per certain specific accessibility standards. This is of utmost importance because the disabled community has the right to access digital information and hence should be provided with effective means. For this purpose, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have been developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). In this article, you will get a brief understanding of WCAG and its relevance in accessibility.
The importance of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliance:
WCAG is an internationally recognized set of website and digital accessibility guidelines. WCAG compliance ensures that organizations are developing their digital and web content in alignment with WCAG. There are three key levels of WCAG namely A, AA and AAA. WCAG is governed by four core principles which are as follows:
1. Perceivable: Visitors should be able to understand or perceive and be aware of the information and content presented on your website.
Perceivable web accessibility guidelines:
1.1: Text alternatives should be offered: The web page that consists of non-text items including videos, images and audio content must have a text alternative so that it can be easily understood by non-sighted individuals.
1.2: The content should be structured in an adaptable way: The HTML files should be written in such a way that the structure and intended information should not be lost if the page styling were to be removed.
2. Operable: The user will not get disrupted by using those websites that are operable. Every part of the site’s functionality from playing and pausing video and audio to selecting a link from a menu to navigating a page can be utilized by visitors.
Operable web accessibility guidelines:
2.1: The entire functionality should be used via a keyboard: There are some users who will not use a touchpad or mouse while the site is being navigated. The website functionality should be accessible with the keyboard.
2.2: Flashing/blinking content should be avoided: Specific issues can be triggered when content flashes or blinks take place more than three times in a second. This needs to be avoided.
3. Understandable: The entire website content including the graphic design and written content should be easily understood by visitors. Not only is verbose, jumbled language difficult for your typical visitor to understand but also limits access to those with impairments and cognitive difficulties and also those people who are not able to speak the site’s predominant language.
Understandable web accessibility guidelines:
3.1: The text content should be easy to read: The full scope of the potential audience should be considered when the content is being drafted. The readers should be able to comprehend the web content that has been written, including those who are interested to learn the site’s native language.
3.2: The pages should be logically structured: When the site’s navigation and structure are being planned, the pages and navigational links should be placed in a way that feels intuitive to visitors.
4. Robust: The site content should be easily consumable and interpreted by all visitors. To achieve this, HTML should be written in a way such that it allows assistive technologies to parse the code without the need for any visual reference.
Robust web accessibility guidelines:
4.1: HTML should be written in a way that it can be parsed: The web page’s HTML file is used by assistive technologies so that its contents can be translated into a different format. For this purpose, the HTML code of the web page should be well-written.
The above mentioned four principles of WCAG should be effectively used by organizations that are committed to being in line with WCAG compliance.
Significance of WCAG testing:
WCAG testing basically falls under the purview of Accessibility Conformance Testing (ACT). ACT strives to document and establish rules so that the conformance of web content to accessibility standards can be effectively tested. These test rules address manual, automated and semi-automated testing.
Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing WCAG testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a leading software testing services company that will provide you with a feasible testing strategy that is in line with your project specific requirements.
About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.
