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Lauren Atherton
Do you remember your first time using the internet?
I do—3rd grade, typing class, in front of those bulky cream-colored monitors.
Back then, websites were custom-coded with no accessibility standards.
But in May 1999, the Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) were created to make the newly formed internet more accessible for people with disabilities.
The main priorities for an accessible website may seem boring by comparison, but they make all the difference to how people with a full range of abilities can navigate your website, especially with assistive technology.
These are standards that your website is held accountable for, even though you may not know the specific rules that govern them. Everyone has the right to information on your website, as they should!
Because, I’m sure you remember those wacky 90’s websites…yikes!
Although these standards have been improved upon and enforced for over 30 years, very few people know what they are accountable for online. So I’m here to help! Let’s break down the 3 levels of WCAG compliance:
- Level A: This is the minimum level of compliance. It covers essential accessibility features like providing alternative text for images, ensuring keyboard navigation, and using sufficient color contrast.
- Level AA: Building on Level A, AA includes additional guidelines to enhance accessibility. This level is often considered the standard for most websites. It covers more complex accessibility requirements, such as providing audio transcripts for video content and ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies.
- Level AAA: This is the highest level of accessibility, aiming to accommodate users with the most severe disabilities. AAA requires significantly higher contrast ratios between text and background; real-time transcription; sign language interpretation and audio descriptions for all multimedia content; and advanced assistive technology compatibility.
The standard to reach for most websites is AA compliance, and here are the compliance standards for each of those design elements:
- All color contrast ratio must be at least 4.5:1
- Use web-safe fonts with clear hierarchy (H1, H2, H3, paragraphs)
- Text sizes no smaller than 16px
- Adding alt text to images
- Labeling design elements appropriately
- Compatibility with assistive technologies
Digital accessibility benefits everyone, not just people experiencing disabilities.
It makes your website easier to navigate and helps your pages rank higher with search engine optimization (SEO).
The good news is that most content management systems (CMS) like Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress are built with this structure in mind. But even with these systems in place, your website can still be out of compliance.
So, how accessible is your website?
There are many website accessibility checkers available, but my favorite one is AccessiBe. Just enter your website domain, and AccessiBe generates a report with suggestions for improving your website.
If you’re ready for a more accessible website, here’s a handy guide to help you double-check that your website is at least level AA compliant. Plus, these standards can be used for any digital document you’re making!
