Debunking Common WCAG Myths

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Debunking Common WCAG Myths

Posted September 25, 2024

AudioEye

Posted September 25, 2024

Text box reading 'WCAG: Myth or Fact?' on a bluish green background with question marks.
Text box reading 'WCAG: Myth or Fact?' on a bluish green background with question marks.

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There are numerous misconceptions surrounding digital accessibility, particularly around WCAG. In this blog post, we’ll review some of the most common WCAG myths and debunk them.

The terms ‘digital accessibility’ and ‘(Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)’ WCAG are both ones you’ve likely heard — and you may even have a basic understanding of what they are. On the surface, most would agree that increasing web accessibility is a good thing — a necessary thing. However, the industry is shrouded in a lot of myths and misunderstandings that can make following WCAG guidelines and accessibility regulations confusing.

Below, we’ll discuss some of the most common WCAG myths and debunk them, giving you a deeper understanding of what WCAG and digital accessibility means and why they matter.

Myth #1: Conformance with WCAG = Compliance with Accessibility Laws

One of the biggest accessibility myths is that simply conforming to WCAG’s accessibility standards guarantees compliance with all accessibility laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the European Accessibility Act (EAA), and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Following WCAG guidelines creates a solid framework for creating accessible digital content, but compliance with accessibility laws requires additional accessibility testing and continuous monitoring. Additionally, legal requirements may vary depending on jurisdictions and can include additional accessibility requirements beyond what WCAG covers.

Myth #2: Automated Tools are All I Need to Conform with WCAG Guidelines

Automated accessibility testing tools can only identify some accessibility issues, typically the most common ones, like missing alt text (also known as alternative text) or poor color contrast ratios. In some cases, automated tools may “miss” WCAG violations that make an inaccessible website.


We recommend using automated tools to get started with accessibility testing, using it as a baseline to determine how accessible your existing digital content is. The results from automated testing should be supplemented with user testing conducted by accessibility experts as well as people with disabilities. It’s through human intervention that more complex accessibility issues — like how user-friendly your keyboard navigation is or how assistive technologies work with your content — can be found and fixed.

Myth #3: WCAG is a ‘One-and-Done’ Checklist

Too often, WCAG is viewed as a ‘one-and-done’ checklist for creating accessible online content. Some businesses think that simply checking off all the boxes on a WCAG conformance checklist means their work is done. 

It’s important to note accessibility isn’t a static achievement; it’s an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and testing to ensure continued accessibility.

Remember, the digital accessibility landscape is always changing. Each time you update your digital content, perform a software update, or launch new content, you risk inadvertently introducing new accessibility errors. One of your features that might have been compliant at one point may become non-compliant as technology evolves or new content is added. 


Making accessibility testing and monitoring a regular part of your web development processes can help you find and fix WCAG violations before they impact your users and result in bigger problems. Plus, it can decrease the chance of legal action against you for non-compliance with accessibility laws like the ADA.

Myth #4: Only Businesses Who Serve the Disability Community Need to Follow WCAG

The misconception that only companies that serve the disability community or bigger businesses — like Google or Apple — need to follow WCAG is untrue.

First, all organizations serve the disability community. Worldwide, 1.3 billion people have a disability, meaning it’s more than likely some of your customer base are individuals with disabilities. Implementing WCAG’s accessibility features ensures users with disabilities can use your website or mobile app. Additionally, making your website more accessible enhances the user experience, widens your audience reach, boosts SEO rankings, and decreases legal risk — all of which can have huge benefits for your business.


Second, all companies, regardless of the industry, are legally obligated to follow accessibility laws. For example, the ADA prohibits organizations from discriminating against individuals with disabilities in places of public accommodation, which includes the internet. Under the ADA, organizations must ensure their digital content is accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities. To comply with the ADA, organizations must follow the accessibility standards outlined in WCAG 2.1 Level AA. International accessibility laws, like the EAA, AODA, and Federal Disabled Equalization Law (BGG), also require businesses to provide accessible online content.

Myth #5: WCAG Guidelines Will Decrease My Site’s Visual Appeal

Any website, regardless of whether or not it's accessible, can lack visual appeal if it’s not designed or built correctly. 

Accessibility — when done right — can actually enhance the appearance of your website. For example, one of WCAG’s accessibility features is to provide sufficient color contrast between text and its foreground (a minimum color contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text is recommended). Striking that balance can help you add depth and dimensions to your web designs, preventing them from appearing flat or monotonous. It can also help you create a more vibrant, visually interesting experience. Plus, when text stands out more clearly against its background, it’s easier to read and gives your site a more polished, professional feel. 

Sufficient color contrast is just one of WCAG’s features that actually enhance the appearance of your digital content. Consistent navigation, text resizing, alt text, and focus indicators are additional WCAG features that can make your website more visually appealing. 


But don’t take our word for it: Check out these examples of accessible websites.

Myth #6: Implementing WCAG Guidelines is Expensive, Time-Consuming, and Resource-Intensive

This myth keeps businesses from starting with accessibility. Many think that conforming with WCAG requires a complete website redesign, extensive coding by a team of experts, and a huge budget. In fact, one survey found that more than half of respondents (51.64) thought creating an accessible website involves redesigning or redeveloping your site. This isn’t the case at all — especially if you prioritize accessibility in your design and development processes. 

Enhancing accessibility often involves making small changes in your design and development processes, which can have a huge impact on users with disabilities. For example, adding alt text to images ensures individuals with visual impairments or disabilities or those who rely on screen readers can understand non-text content. Providing captions to your videos ensures those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or with other auditory disabilities can interact with video or audio descriptions. 

Neither of these WCAG guidelines requires a complete website redesign or thousands of dollars from your budget. It’s these small, intentional choices that create a more accessible design and provide equal access to online content.

Stylized web browser with a pop-up of a bulleted list; a magnifying glass over the accessibility symbol is in the right corner. Icons of gears are faded in the background.

Dispelling the Myths: Making Accessibility Achievable for Every Business

For organizations looking to enhance accessibility — or conform with WCAG accessibility standards — it’s essential to debunk common myths. All businesses, regardless of their size, have a responsibility to provide an inclusive, accessible website.

Here’s the good news: conforming with WCAG and boosting accessibility is easier than you think. It all starts with having the right tools. And that’s where AudioEye comes in. 

Our Accessibility Platform includes numerous accessibility tools, all designed to help you meet WCAG conformance standards effortlessly. And we start small with our free Web Accessibility Scanner that identifies common WCAG violations such as missing alt text or poor color contrast levels. Our Automated Fixes resolve these issues automatically while our team of human experts dive deeper into your digital content to find and fix more complex accessibility issues. Plus, with AudioEye’s Developer Tools, developers can test code accessibility in a pre-production environment, enabling you to bring accessibility into every part of your software development lifecycle.


Ready to get started? Enter the URL of your digital content into our scanner below to identify common accessibility barriers. 

Want to see what more AudioEye can do? Schedule a demo to see our platform in action.

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