WCAG and Other Guidelines

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG, is the international standard that explains how to make web content accessible to people with disabilities.

The current standard, and the standard that Title II requires universities to meet, is 2.1.

WCAG 2.1 has 13 guidelines, organized under four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, referred to as POUR.

• Perceivable: users must be able to perceive the information; it can’t be invisible to all of their senses or assistive devices.

• Operable: a user must be able to operate and navigate the interface.

• Understandable: users must be able to understand the information and the operation; neither can be beyond the understanding of the user.

• Robust: a user must be able to access the content through a variety of means (including assistive technologies and devices), and it must still be accessible as technology advances.

Each of the 13 guidelines has a set of success criteria that explain what must be achieved to conform to the standard. The success criteria are what guide content creators and developers to make sure their content is accessible.

What You Need to Know

As a content creator (web maintainer, faculty in D2L, office administrator creating files, etc.), you do not need to understand the individual guidelines in deep detail, but you should at least have an understanding of the guidelines and general rules to assist your work.

Use the specific training and tools provided for each system to aid you. Learn more about how disabilities impact a user’s experience and how to create accessible media and content.