Brief History
- In 1999 the WCAG [1.0] (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) was published by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). Within the WCAG they estimated about 10-20% of the population had disabilities and those disabilities affect the way people use the web.
- In 2008 the WCAG [2.0] replaced its predecessor with new guidelines. These guidelines added 62 markers of an ADA friendly website.
- In 2018 the WCAG [2.1] was released and added 17 new criteria to help those suffering from low visions, cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, and more.
Guidelines Levels
- Level A covers the most basic web accessibility features. Level A has 30 guidelines.
- Level AA covers some of the most common issues those with disabilities struggle with. (Our ADA Compliant websites are brought up to this point). Level AA has 20 additional guidelines (50 total).
- Level AAA is the most complex level of website accessibility. Level AAA has 28 additional guidelines (bring the total to 78).
Accessibility Principles
In order to fully understand the principles and requirements, we suggest taking a stroll over at the W3 WCAG2.1 Quick Reference Guide. But below is a quick recap.
- Perceivable: The entire website needs to be able to be “seen” to everyone. Things like small or hidden text are a no-no.
- Operable: The entire website needs to be able to be usable. Buttons need to be “real” and clickable with a mouse or keyboard, and even voice control in some circumstance.
- Understandable: The website needs to be understandable. The text, wording, meaning, instructions, etc. all need to be simple and easy to understand.
- Robust: There are lots of devices out there. Computers, Tablets, Phones, Screen Readers, etc. no matter the website, it needs to be able to be used easily across all technologies and devices.
What You Need To Do Next
Chances are, your website is not ADA Compliant. Right now most of the laws and policies refer to WCAG 2.0 (Level AA) as the requirements to follow. If your website is not ADA compliant, we suggest reaching out to your business attorney and see if this is something you need to do urgently. Skillful Antics will provide a FREE home page audit for you covering all 50 Level AA compliant issues you may face.