Digital Accessibility and Compliance Laws

WCAG: The International Standard for Compliance

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are used as compliance guidelines for numerous accessibility laws, including the ADA. Courts and compliance teams worldwide use these standards to evaluate whether your digital products are accessible. In this chapter, you’ll learn which WCAG standards are used to measure compliance, what specific guidelines you need to meet, and how to prioritize them.

Collage of the earth and WCAG

WCAG’s Role in Accessibility Laws

WCAG is considered the international standard for accessibility. Although originally created as technical guidance by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG guidelines are used by courts, regulators, and legal teams to determine if websites and other digital content are accessible to people with disabilities. 

Which Laws Use WCAG?

Multiple accessibility laws use WCAG guidelines to determine compliance, including:

  • Section 508

    Applies to U.S. Federal Agencies and requires WCAG 2.0 Level AA conformance

  • Americans with Disabilities Act

    U.S. courts consistently apply WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the compliance standard.

  • European Accessibility Act

    The EAA enforces the POUR principles, similar to WCAG guidelines, which requires content to be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

  • The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

    The Canadian law requires public and private organizations to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA conformance requirements.

  • Disability Discrimination Act

    Australian courts reference WCAG when evaluating lawsuits and determining compliance. 

Most courts use WCAG guidelines because they provide objective, testable criteria for measuring digital accessibility. Rather than subjective interpretations, WCAG offers specific success criteria that can be evaluated consistently across different cases and jurisdictions. 

What Does WCAG Conformance Mean in Legal Terms?

Conformance with WCAG guidelines usually means meeting the success criteria included in WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Most courts focus on whether people with disabilities can effectively access and use digital content, rather than perfect technical adherence to every guideline. Organizations must demonstrate good faith efforts to remove substantial barriers to access.

Quiz Yourself

What laws use WCAG to measure compliance?

@

Not Quite!

Hint: Remember, one law uses the POUR principles over WCAG to determine compliance.

Quiz Yourself

Which WCAG conformance level do most accessibility laws require for compliance?

@

Not Quite!

Hint: Think about the "goldilocks" approach to accessibility; what's just the right amount?

Want more information on the basics of WCAG?

Check out Chapter 3 of our Accessibility 101 Course.

WCAG Checklist

WCAG 2.1 includes 78 success criteria that detail how to make digital content accessible and compliant. The checklist below breaks each of them down by level; we recommend prioritizing the success criteria included in Level A and AA as these are used to measure compliance with most accessibility laws.

WCAG Checklist Level A

Success Criteria

Description

Complete

1.1.1: Non-text Content

All non-text content (i.e. images, image buttons, and image map hot spots) have appropriate alternative text.

1.2.1: Audio-Only and Video-Only

Descriptive and accurate transcripts are provided for video- and audio-only content.

1.2.2: Captions

Captions are provided for pre-recorded videos or on-live videos (e.g., YouTube).

1.3.1: Information and Relationships

Headings include the right semantic markup. Tables are linked to the appropriate headers and include captions if necessary. Text labels are associated with the right form inputs.

1.3.2: Meaningful Sequence

Navigation order follows code order; navigation is clear and intuitive.

1.3.3: Sensory Characteristics

Instructions are not dependent on visual location, shape, or size (i.e., ‘Instructions are listed on the right’ or ‘Click the square button to continue’).

1.4.1: Use of Color

Color alone is not used to portray information, nor is it used to distinguish links from surrounding text unless the color contrast ratio is appropriate.

1.4.2: Audio Control

Users can pause, stop, change volume, or mute audio content that automatically plays on a page for longer than three seconds.

2.1.1: Keyboard

Web elements can easily be shared via a keyboard and include page-specific keyboard shortcuts.

2.1.2: No Keyboard Trap

Keyboard focus and shortcuts are not locked or trapped on any page elements.

2.1.4: Character Key Shortcuts

Users must be able to disable key commands and change to non-printable keys, such as Ctrl, Alt, etc.

2.2.1: Timing Adjustable

Pages with time limits allow users to adjust, turn off, or expand the time limit.

2.2.2: Pause, Stop, Hide

Automatically moving, blinking, scrolling, or updating content lasting longer than five seconds can be paused, stopped, or hidden by users.

2.3.2: Three Flashes or Below

Page content does not flash more than three times per second.

2.4.1: Bypass Blocks

Users can skip navigation or other page elements that are repeated across web pages.

2.4.2: Page Titles

The webpage has a descriptive, informative page title.

2.4.3: Focus Order

The order of links is clear and follows a logical, intuitive order.

2.4.4: Link Purpose

Users can understand the purpose of the link from the text alone. Links with similar text that redirect to different locations are easily distinguishable.

2.5.1: Pointer Gestures

User actions can be performed with a single pointer gesture.

2.5.2: Pointer Cancellation

Inadvertent activation of controls is avoided by non-use of the ‘onmousedown’ activation.

2.5.4: Motion Actuation

Functionalities triggered by user movement or moving the device can be disabled, and similar functionality can be achieved via standard controls like buttons or controls.

3.3.1: Error Identification

Form validation or input errors are clearly identified, and access to the error is quickly provided.

WCAG Checklist Level AA

Success Criteria

Description

Complete

1.2.4: Captions

Live media with audio contain synchronized captions.

1.2.5: Audio Description

Users have access to audio descriptions for non-live video.

1.3.4: Orientation

Web page orientation is not limited to portrait or landscape; users can adjust as needed.

1.3.5:Identify Input Purpose

Fields that collect certain user information have an ‘autocomplete’ attribute defined.

1.4.3: Contrast

Both text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. Large text has a ratio of at least 3:1.

1.4.4: Resize Text

Page elements are still readable and functional when zoomed to 200%.

1.4.5: Images of Text

If a visual representation can be portrayed through text alone, an image alone is not used to present text.

1.4.10: Reflow

Functionality is not lost when content is presented at a width of 320 pixels. Horizontal scrolling is avoided as much as possible.

1.4.11: Non-Text Contrast (Minimum)

A minimum contrast ratio of 3:1 is available for different objects, such as icons, charts, or graphs.

1.4.12: Text Spacing

Content or functionality is not lost when users adjust paragraph spacing.

1.4.13: Content on Hover or Focus

Content presented in hover or focus can be dismissed without moving the keyboard or pointer.

2.4.5: Multiple Ways

Users have more than one way to find other web pages on a site.

2.4.6: Headings and Labels

Page headings and labels are informative and are not duplicated unless absolutely necessary.

2.4.7: Focus Visible

A visible indicator is present for page elements when they receive keyboard focus.

2.4.12: Focus Not Obscured

Elements with keyboard focus are entirely visible.

2.5.7: Dragging Movement

Actions that require pointer dragging can also be done with a single pointer.

2.5.8: Target Size

Pointer sizes are at minimum 24 by 24 pixels unless specified otherwise.

3.1.2: Language of Parts/Page

Language of pages is easily identifiable via the ‘lang’ attribute.

3.2.3: Consistent Navigation

Elements that repeat across a web page (e.g., a search bar) are consistently labeled as such across individual web pages.

3.3.3: Error Suggestion

When an error is detected, suggestions are provided for how to remedy the issue in a timely, accessible way.

3.3.4: Error Prevention

If a user changes or deletes financial, legal, or test data, the action can be reversed, confirmed, or verified as needed.

3.3.8: Accessible Authentication (Minimum)

Cognitive functions are not required during authentication processes unless it can be completed in another way, bypassed, or identification of non-text content is provided by the user (e.g., user-provided image).

4.1.3: Status Messages

Status messages are announced to screen readers via live region or ARIA alerts.

WCAG Checklist Level AAA

Success Criteria

Description

Complete

1.2.6: Sign Language

Sign language interpretation is provided for media with audio.

1.2.7: Extended Audio Description

When the original video contains insufficient pauses and is not optimized for audio description, a separate video with sufficient pauses and audio descriptions is provided.

1.2.8: Media Alternative

Pre-recorded media includes a descriptive transcript.

1.2.9: Audio-Only

Descriptive text is provided for live content that contains audio.

1.3.6: Identify Purpose

ARIA is used to enhance HTML semantics, enabling users to more easily understand the purpose of interface elements.

1.4.6: Contrast

Images and text have a color contrast ratio of 7:1.

1.4.7: Low or No Background Audio

Audio content has little to no background noise, ensuring it is easily distinguished.

1.4.8: Visual Presentation

Blocks of text over one sentence in length are: Less than 80 characters wide, not fully justified, have adequate line spacing, include appropriate foreground and background colors, and does not require horizontal scrolling if size is doubled.

1.4.9: Images of Text

Text within an image is used only for decoration, or if the information cannot be presented through text alone.

2.1.3: Keyboard

All functionalities are available via the keyboard.

2.2.3: No Timing

There are no time limits or constraints to page content or functionality.

2.2.4: Interruptions

Interruptions such as alerts or updates can be postponed by the user.

2.2.5: Re-Authenticating

Users can re-authenticate a page and continue activities without losing data.

2.2.6: Timeouts

Users are adequately warned of timeouts that can result in data loss (unless data can be preserved for more than hours of user inactivity).

2.3.2: Three Flashes

No page content flashes three times per second.

2.3.3: Animations from Interactions

Non-essential animations and movements can be disabled by users.

2.4.8: Location

 A web page that’s part of a sequence of web pages is indicated as such through breadcrumbs or specifying sequence steps.

2.4.9: Link Purpose

Users can distinguish the purpose of each link through link text alone.

2.4.10: Section Headings

Sections of content are designated using headers.

2.4.11: Focus not Obscured (Enhanced)

Elements with keyboard focus are entirely visible.

2.4.13: Focus Appearance

Instances where custom indicators or backgrounds are in place have at least a 3:1 contrast between focused/unfocused states, and are at least as large as the area of a 2-pixel-thick perimeter surrounding the element.

2.5.5: Target Size (Enhanced)

Clickable targets are 44 by 44 pixels in size unless an alternative target size is provided.

2.5.6: Concurrent Input Mechanisms

Content is not limited to one specific input type (i.e., keyboard-only or touch-only) and supports alternative inputs.

3.1.3: Unusual Words

Unfamiliar or ambiguous words are defined through an index, definition list, or other appropriate method.

3.1.4: Abbreviations

Unfamiliar abbreviations are expanded and defined the first time it is used.

3.1.5: Reading Level

More understandable alternatives are provided for advanced content (typically provided for content above a ninth-grade reading level).

3.1.6: Pronunciation

Pronunciation guides are provided for words that are vital to the comprehension of the page.

3.2.5: Change on Request

Substantial changes (i.e., spawning of pop-up windows or changes in keyboard focus) are initiated by the user and can disable options if desired.

3.3.5: Help

Instructions or cues are provided to users who need assistance to complete tasks.

3.3.6: Error Prevention

Users can reverse, verify, or confirm submissions after information is submitted.

3.3.9: Accessible Authentication (Enhanced)

Cognitive function tests are not required for any step in the authentication process unless the test can be bypassed or completed with assistance from another mechanism.

What Content Needs to Conform with WCAG Guidelines? 

The scope of content that needs to conform to WCAG guidelines ultimately depends on your organization’s legal obligations (e.g., organization type, funding and contracts, geographic location, etc.), but here are the general categories:

Always required:

  • Main website pages, including homepages, product/service pages, and contact information.

  • Online applications and forms, like registration, checkout, and contract forms.

  • Mobile applications that provide the same services as your website.

  • Customer-facing portals, such as account dashboards or self-service tools. 

  • Digital documents linked from your website (PDFs, Word documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoints, etc.)

Usually required:

  • Employee-facing systems and intranets as required by employment accessibility laws.

  • Marketing emails and digital communications.

  • Social media control you control/post directly. 

  • Video and audio content that requires captions, transcripts, or audio descriptions.

  • Third-party integrations, such as chatbots, payment systems, or other embedded content.

May be exempt or have modified requirements:

  • Archived content that’s no longer updated (courts typically allow reasonable timelines surrounding this type of content).

  • Pre-existing documents; however, these may require accessible alternatives rather than full remediation.

  • Live streaming content has different requirements than pre-recorded content.

The bottom line: If users need content to access your goods, services, or employment opportunities, it likely needs to be accessible. Best practice is to err on the side of accessibility and inclusion rather than exclusion. 

Quiz Yourself

Which type of content is typically exempt from WCAG guidelines?

@

Not Quite!

Hint: Think about content that's likely not used by many individuals.

Quiz Yourself

What’s the key principle for determining if content needs to conform with WCAG?

@

Not Quite!

Hint: Remember that under WCAG, all digital content is required to be accessible.

Keep Learning

Move to the next chapter: United States Accessibility Laws

Frequently Asked Questions