In simple terms, WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The most crucial regulation defines whether or not your website is convenient enough for all users, mainly focusing on specially-abled individuals.
There have been four breakdowns of the regulation. The latest version, i.e., WCAG 2.1, states that your WCAG 2.1 compliance website should be accessible to all individuals, and the screen size shouldn’t be an issue. The version primarily highlights the need to improve website content for individuals with cognitive impairments and ensure website responsiveness.
To better understand the differences between WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1, here’s a snippet of the various pointers these two versions highlight.
Did you know that WCAG was initially developed by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)? Nearly several years have passed since the WCAG version was introduced. But every word related to the law here states that any website requires accessibility measures.
Website accessibility depends upon the texture of content. According to WCAG accessibility standards, the content needs to be understandable to anyone, regardless of nationality, awareness of the subject matter, or having some physical deficiencies.
The website undergoes multiple test levels to determine if it is a WCAG-compliant website. Like a science experiment, the website undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it meets public standards.
Once the test is over, the website has a compliance score, i.e., “Success Criteria.” This score defines on what level the website is suitable for website accessibility. The three WCAG Compliance levels are A, AA, and AAA. All these levels imply the difficulty and challenge mode of accessibility.
Here’s a glimpse at the latest additions to Success Criteria for WCAG 2.1
To meet all these criteria, the W3C features specific principles for certification as a website accessibility compliant. In simple terms, look at the measures to pass the tests.
There have been many changes made during the development of WCAG 2.1 compliance, mainly concerning the number of principles. However, according to W3C, they have created a checklist that is an endless maze of instructions and guidelines.
To ease the process, W3C has stated at the very beginning of version WCAG 2.1 that, despite numerous additions, the basic requirements remain the same four principles.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into what these four principles talk about and how your website can become a WCAG compliant website.
The principle addresses the word “perceive,” as in ‘the ability to make sense of things.’ A user must understand the content or any matter presented on the website. The subject matter should be convenient enough for all the primary senses we use to perceive, i.e., vision and sound.
To make a website “perceivable,” try to address the content in a layman's language. If the website has graphics, add captions for videos wherever necessary. Another factor that plays a role in making content understandable includes font, spacing, color, and text size.
Many individuals have mobility difficulties, especially people with injured limbs or who have survived paralysis or stroke. For these individuals, using an ordinary mouse becomes a tedious job. To address this issue, the principal draws attention to how to access the website.
This principle focuses on elevating your keyboard into a mouse. For instance, we use Ctrl Z to undo an error; similarly, it focuses on managing the functionality of a mouse on the various keys through keyboard shortcuts.
One needs to be aware that not everyone can retrospect the technical content portrayed on the screen. Phew! This sentence made very little sense, didn’t it?
The principle brings attention to this exact issue. The content on your website should be readable to anyone, especially if it provides instructions or includes many technical terms. Try to simplify the language on a fundamental level so people from various backgrounds or countries can easily understand what is being presented.
As we discussed technicalities, we found that content is provided on a website in various ways. Just as we live in a diversified community with multiple languages, our content is built on a multifaceted language.
The principle gestures that any content you put on the website must be coded in the primary language, i.e., HTML or CSS. These two code languages are permitted, as people with disabilities can easily manage and browse the website.
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