If you’ve never heard of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), you’re not alone. At first glance, they can look technical and overwhelming—but at their core, WCAG is simply about making sure everyone can access and understand the information you share online. And as a communicator, you already have many of the skills needed to make that happen.
WCAG is built around four basic principles: content should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Think of these as common-sense checks that help you write clearly, design with intention, and share information in ways that work for everyone.
This page is designed to take the mystery out of WCAG and give you straightforward, practical resources. With a little practice, accessibility will stop feeling like an extra task—and start becoming a natural part of how you create content that reaches every audience.
Keep in mind that most organizations (and those that need to comply with the 2024 ADA DOJ Rule) should be focused on meeting WCAG 2.1 AA. Some of the resources provided in this curriculum refer to WCAG 2.2, which is the most recent standard. WCAG 2.2 AA isn’t much different than WCAG 2.1 AA with the exception of a few additional requirements mostly related to development. I included references pertaining to WCAG 2.2 if the information is helpful for those striving to conform to WCAG 2.1.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop a high-level knowledge of what Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are
- Understand the four categories of WCAG
- Be introduced to resources that will help you become familiar with each guideline and what successfully meeting it entails
Resources
WCAG 2 Overview
(W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI))
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) can be intimidating, so it’s helpful to start with an overview of what they are. Here are a couple of recommendations when reviewing this page:
- Don’t worry about clicking on the links to dive into topics further. The links that are helpful are included separately in this curriculum.
- Skip the WCAG 2.0 is ISO/IEC 20400 section. It’s not knowledge you need to know/remember.
- Skip the WCAG 3 and more information section. It’s not knowledge you need to know/remember.
Introduction to Understanding WCAG 2.2
(W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI))
The beginning of this page may be a little confusing, but it is included in this list because the content further down explains how the guidelines are structured, which is important to understand. You can skip the beginning and just review the following sections. Keep in mind that the content that is being recommended for review is pertinent for all versions of WCAG, including 2.1 and 2.2.
- Understanding the Four Principles of Accessibility
- Layers of Guidance
How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference)
(W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI))
This is a helpful resource to become familiar with each WCAG guideline. The page may seem overwhelming when you first see it, but it is easily customizable so that you can filter everything based on what you are interested in. Here are a couple of tips:
- In the left sidebar, select the “Filter” option to open customization options.
- In the WCAG Version section, select the WCAG version you are trying to conform to from the dropdown list.
- In the Tags section, if you are not going to be evaluating how a system is coded, uncheck the “Developing” box.
- In the Levels section, choose the level you are going to be conforming to. Most organizations will not be validating to AAA, so if you are not, then uncheck “Level AAA”
- In the Techniques section, leave all the boxes checked.
- In the Technologies section, if you are not checking for development/coding issues, you can uncheck the following:
- ARIA
- Client-side Scripting
- Server-side Scripting
- SMIL
Understanding Accessibility: WCAG’s 13 Guidelines with Kasey Bonifacio (approx. 30 minute video)
(Kasey Bonifacio)
This video is a good overview of key accessibility guidelines and techniques that communicators need to keep in mind when creating content. Although it doesn’t cover every detail, it is just enough information to be helpful without being overwhelming.