W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

June 2, 2008

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) published an extensive series of accessibility checkpoints in 1999 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0)). New guidelines (WCAG 2.0) are on their way.

Checkpoints

Each WCAG 1.0 accessibility checkpoint has a priority level.

• Priority 1: content must satisfy this checkpoint. Satsifying this checkpoint is a basic requirement.
• Priority 2: content should satisfy this checkpoint. Satisfying this point will remove significant barriers.
• Priority 3: content may satisfy this checkpoint. Satisfying this point will improve access.

See the full list of checkpoints .

Conformance

WCAG 1.0 provides three levels of conformance:

• A: all Priority 1 checkpoints are satisfied.
• Double-A: all Priority 1 and 2 checkpoints are satisfied.
• Triple-A: all Priority 1, 2 and 3 checkpoints are satisfied.

WCAG 2.0

A new set of guidelines (WCAG 2.0) is due to be released before the end of 2008. W3C hope to have the final draft available in Q3.

These new guidelines are intended to be applicable to a wider range of technologies and more precisely testable.

They are organised around four design principles of web accessibility – Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. Each principle has guidelines and each guideline has success criteria of A, Double-A or Triple-A. The success criteria will be the basis for conformance.

Find out more about WCAG 2.0 .

Filed in: Accessibility

Comments

Return to Blog front page

At a glance

Egn Webcraft is a trading name of Egn Systems Limited. Copyright © 2008.

Wagtail House, Upton Lane, Seavington, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0PZ     Tel: 0845 225 2888 or 01460 242023    enquiries@egnwebcraft.co.uk