For the people in the back who need to hear this:
1. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are a Web Standard.
2. If you want to make websites you need to follow them as much as you follow other Standards like HTML or CSS.
3. They are an integral part of the Web.
1. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are a Web Standard.
2. If you want to make websites you need to follow them as much as you follow other Standards like HTML or CSS.
3. They are an integral part of the Web.
I know “Guidelines” is a bit easy to misunderstand as non-binding, but it is not. The guidelines are in place to help you keep track but it also has Success Criteria that tells you exactly when you have left those guardrails and made something inaccessible.
WCAG has a double functionality:
1. It can guide you (as Design Principles) to an accessible, usable user experience and tells you what the minimum requirements are.
2. It can tell you when you have failed to provide accessibility.
1. It can guide you (as Design Principles) to an accessible, usable user experience and tells you what the minimum requirements are.
2. It can tell you when you have failed to provide accessibility.
Usually you want to significantly exceed the WCAG requirements:
When you provide captions, you want to provide good captions.
When you provide alt text, you want to provide useful alt text.
When you have a visible focus style, you want to make it extra visible.
When you provide captions, you want to provide good captions.
When you provide alt text, you want to provide useful alt text.
When you have a visible focus style, you want to make it extra visible.
WCAG defines the floor, the absolute minimum. If you follow the Design Principles, you should always be well above that minimum.
It is also the most efficient way to ensure accessibility. To look at WCAG and then use it as the North Star, always checking if you’re on track.
It is also the most efficient way to ensure accessibility. To look at WCAG and then use it as the North Star, always checking if you’re on track.
@stommepoes is right: While WCAG tries to give us a good baseline for accessibility, there are always needs that are not covered. That’s why it is better to implement WCAG as an ongoing concern instead of “just” testing at the end.
