If you’re working with digital accessibility, these are the WCAG questions that come up most often. Each answer gives you exactly what you need to know.
What is WCAG?
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – technical standards that make websites accessible to people with disabilities.
These guidelines come from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and serve as the global standard for digital accessibility. Organizations worldwide use WCAG to ensure their digital assets work for everyone, including people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies.
What’s the difference between WCAG 2.0 AA, 2.1 AA, and 2.2 AA?
WCAG 2.0 AA has 38 success criteria, 2.1 AA has 50, and 2.2 has 55 AA – each version builds on the previous one.
Version 2.0 came out in 2008 and is best thought of as the classic standard and is concerned more with desktop accessibility. Version 2.1 was published in 2018 and addresses multiple mobile accessibility issues. Version 2.2 added multiple cognitive accessibility features in 2023. When you meet a higher version, you automatically meet all lower versions too.
What does WCAG 2.1 AA mean?
WCAG 2.1 AA refers to version 2.1 at conformance level AA — the standard most organizations follow.
The “2.1” indicates the version with 50 success criteria. The “AA” means the comprehensive conformance level that removes significant barriers for users with disabilities. This combination provides excellent accessibility while remaining practical to implement.
Is WCAG Level AA the legal requirement?
Level AA serves as the standard for most accessibility laws, though specific requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Title III of the ADA doesn’t specify WCAG directly, but courts reference it. Section 508 requires WCAG 2.0 AA. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) references WCAG principles without naming a specific version. Most organizations target WCAG 2.1 AA as their baseline technical standard..
What’s the difference between Level A, AA, and AAA?
Level A provides basic accessibility, AA provides comprehensive accessibility, and AAA provides extreme accessibility.
Level A contains essential features that prevent people from being completely blocked. Level AA addresses common barriers and provides solid accessibility. Level AAA requires exceptional measures that aren’t always practical for every website.
Do I need WCAG 2.2 AA or is 2.1 AA enough?
WCAG 2.1 AA meets most current legal requirements and provides excellent accessibility.
Accessible.org clients usually select WCAG 2.1 AA as their standard because it’s widely recognized and referenced in laws. WCAG 2.2 AA adds six more success criteria focused on cognitive accessibility. Choose 2.2 if you want the newest standard or 2.1 for established compliance.
What’s a WCAG audit?
An audit evaluates your digital asset against WCAG success criteria to identify accessibility issues.
The audit process involves manual evaluation and screen reader testing to find issues that prevent people with disabilities from using your website. Each issue gets documented with its location, WCAG criterion violated, and instructions for remediation.
How long does WCAG conformance take?
Most organizations need 2-6 months from audit to conformance, depending on issue count and complexity.
The timeline includes getting an audit, fixing issues, and validation. Simple websites might take weeks while complex applications take longer. Using Accessibility Tracker platform for tracking fixes and validation helps organizations stay organized throughout remediation.
What’s the difference between conformance and compliance?
Conformance means meeting WCAG technical standards; compliance means meeting legal requirements.
You achieve WCAG conformance when your website meets all applicable success criteria. You achieve ADA compliance or EAA compliance when you meet legal obligations. Laws often reference WCAG, but conformance and compliance remain distinct concepts.
Does WCAG apply to mobile apps?
WCAG principles apply to mobile apps even though the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines were written for web content.
Native mobile apps can’t follow every success criterion exactly, but the underlying principles still guide accessibility. Some criteria about keyboard access translate to gesture alternatives. Others about color contrast apply directly.
What are success criteria?
Success criteria are technical requirements you must meet for WCAG conformance.
Each criterion addresses a specific accessibility consideration. For example, 1.1.1 requires text alternatives for images. 2.4.7 requires visible keyboard focus indicators.
Can AI tools make my site WCAG conformant?
No, automated scans — even those with AI — can only reliably identify a limited number of issues. And all scan results still need a technical accessibility expert to review. And if AI doesn’t come close to finding all issues, it definitely can’t remediate for WCAG conformance.
What’s the most common WCAG issue?
Missing or inadequate text alternatives for images remains the most frequent issue across websites.
Every image needs appropriate alt text that conveys its meaning or function. Decorative images need empty alt attributes.
Do I need WCAG certification?
It’s not necessary, but it’s great to have certification of WCAG conformance from a reputable provider.
The W3C doesn’t certify digital assets, but you can get certification from reputable accessibility companies like Accessible.org.
How often should I audit for WCAG Conformance?
Conduct full audits annually with spot checks whenever you make significant changes.
Websites and other digital assets change constantly through content updates, new features, and design modifications. Each change can introduce accessibility issues. Regular audits catch problems before they accumulate. Accessible.org uses WCAG 2.1 AA as the default technical standard for audits.