WCAG, which stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is a standard for website accessibility. It is created by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) which is the main international standards organization, and is designed to make websites usable for all users, regardless of their disabilities.
While being WCAG compliant is not a necessity for all websites, adhering to this standard will provide a website with better accessibility as well as credibility toward all users especially those with disabilities.
So, what do you need to make your website WCAG compliant?
Web accessibility and WCAG
Prior to knowing if your website is WCAG compliant, it is important to understand what web accessibility is and its relationship with WCAG.
A general definition of the word ‘accessibility’ is the capacity for anyone to access something, despite any condition that may come along with it. This concept applies to web accessibility however it gives more emphasis to accessibility for users with disabilities. Web accessibility is a concept which is designed to make the lives of users with disabilities comfortable and convenient whenever using the web. WCAG is streamlined toward the direction of web accessibility for users with disabilities and general users.
A WCAG compliant website ensures that a website is well-equipped with the means to provide services, data, and information to all types of users. The number of users with disabilities tend to increase through the years and as people age, which makes the number of audiences in this area quite significant. Websites that are WCAG compliant not only widens their potential customers and audiences, but also improves their credibility as well as rankings on search engines.
The 4 Principles of WCAG
As of 2023, there had been a series of accessibility standards released by W3C. The most recent standard is the WCAG 3 which covers a lot of recommendations, guidelines, as well as adherence to new implemented rules and requirements on the internet. With all these details about WCAG, it actually revolves on 4 essential principles which include perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. All principles make up the abbreviation P-O-U-R.
To be able to ensure WCAG compliance, you must first understand the impact of the P-O-U-R principles.
Perceivable
This principle involves having a content perceivable by the senses – which include the sense of sight, sound, and touch. It means users should be able to recognize or perceive information using their senses.
Some examples of content that are perceived by senses include videos, texts, pictures, text fonts and colors, background music, alternative to texts such as braille, and many others.
Content should be presented in a way that is easy to distinguish and should not be misleading.
Operable
Operable simply refers to the ease of use of the website. While the general user is able to navigate and operate through the website, a WCAG compliant website should also be operable to people with disabilities such as those with weak muscles, injured limbs, disabilities, and many others. The operable website should be easily navigated or operated by keyboard, by sight-assisted navigation models, and other means to replace a traditional mouse.
Understandable
The principle of being understandable simply means that the information or content in the website is easily received or understood by the user. This entails using simple and basic terms without the excessive use of technical terms or jargon. Furthermore, any included instructions, directions or procedures should be easy to follow even without prior technical knowledge or skills. Also, it should not confuse users regardless of their age, gender, and disabilities.
Robust
Lastly, the website should have content that are robust, which means content that are constantly accessible regardless of any changes in technologies and even users. In this regard, a robust website should always use clean coding that meets standards and algorithms. The site should also be compatible with assistive tools (AT) which people with disabilities use in their online browsing.
How to Make Your Website WCAG Compliant
Making your website WCAG compliant ensures that your website is easy to access and use by people with disabilities. Here are a few steps that you can take to ensure that your website is WCAG compliant.
Provide text alternatives for non-text content
The use of videos or audios in websites is pretty much common because of the convenience it provides for the general user. However, it may not always be the case for people with disabilities especially to those who are visually impaired or those who are deaf. A good remedy to the problem is to include text descriptions or captions in videos, or audios for people with disabilities would follow.
Use descriptive link text
Link texts should be presented in a way that users understand and know where the link is taking them to. It should have a short description of the destination of the link. Instead of using traditional link texts such as “Click here” or “Buy now”, use descriptive texts such as “Learn more about our products” or “Begin your registration here…”, and so on.
Use proper color contrast
As design fundamentals go, texts should have contrasting colors from its background for clearer and more emphasized layout. Seeing that your website will also be accessed by people with disabilities especially the visually impaired, make sure that the proper color contrast is being used. A black text should be backed with a white background and vise-versa, warm color texts such as yellow, red or orange should use a dark background color such as black, violet, or blue.
Keep an accessible website keyboard
Having a website keyboard, commonly known as ‘virtual keyboard’ or ‘on-screen keyboard’ installed on your website will greatly benefit users with mobility impairments. A website keyboard allows users to enter keys into the computer through a pointing device or through touch-screen, without having to use a physical keyboard.
Ensure proper heading structure
Structure your content in a way that readers or users know which content takes priority over others. Use proper headings such as H1, H2, H3, and so on for users to easily navigate through your content or website. Furthermore, using the proper heading makes it easier for users to find particular topics or subjects within your content.
Ensure compatibility with assistive technologies
Some users will be people with disabilities who are using assistive technologies such as magnifiers, talking devices, braille displays, screen-reading software, and many others. Check to see if your website is compatible with such technologies to effectively cater to users with disabilities.
Make use of ADA-compliant Graphics
Almost all websites have graphics in their pages for the reason that it creates a better impact to viewers or users. Unfortunately, some graphic may be difficult to perceive for people with visual impairment. Thus, it is important that graphics are ADA-compliant as per Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design. This entails avoiding graphics that flash for no more than 3 seconds as this could cause discomfort to sensitive eyes. Furthermore, a text and audio description should be added for any graphics for users with visual impairment and those with hearing disabilities.
Offer alternative ways to access content
In some cases, users such as people with disabilities will be unable to access your content. For such cases, your website should have an alternative option to access its content. Good alternatives include downloadable PDFs, transcript for audios, and many others.
Regularly update content for compliance regulations
One thing that will never change about the internet is that it always changes or evolves – this includes algorithms, and even compliance regulations. Thus, it is important to always check your website for changes and updates. Check to see that your content is consistently accessible to users and that is always compliant to new regulations.
Conclusion
More and more people are using the internet for their everyday tasks and ventures. Among the users are people with disabilities who have difficulties accessing websites that are beyond their capabilities. Having your website WCAG compliant not only provides opportunities and hope for people with disabilities but also improves your credibility. By following the guidelines mentioned above, you’ll be able to effectively and comfortably deliver information and services to users of all types- especially people with disabilities.
