The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) help designers, developers and communication specialists create digitally accessible content. We are now working with version WCAG 2.2 Meanwhile, we are also working on WCAG 3: a lot is going to change!
WCAG 3 is currently under development. It is still completely a concept. Only in a few years will it become the new standard for digital accessibility. The current standard is version 2, to be exact WCAG 2.1. On October 5, 2023, WCAG 2.2 was published. However, it is not yet the standard for the Digital Government Act or, for example, the European Accessibility Act.
WCAG 3 describes how to make the Internet more accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG 3 provides guidelines for Web content, apps, tools, online publications and developing technologies for the Internet.
A lot has changed online since WCAG 2 was written and launched in 2008. Just 1 year earlier, Apple came out with the first iPhone. Since then, many more new devices have come such as tablets, smartwatches and other Wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT). There was also an increasing focus on apps and new codes and techniques are being used more and more
Ho, don't be alarmed! Sure, the current WCAG guidelines are ideal. However, we have started to use the Internet differently. Developments in technology have not stood still. Even assistive technology, such as:
Voice control
Eye-tracking
Braille Wearebles, such as watch “Dot”
Smart glasses
This makes the current set of guidelines not always a good fit for “today's” Internet.
With WCAG 3, a lot is going to change. It helps to examine more types of content and devices. Digital resources will hopefully become a lot more accessible as a result. And that will benefit a lot of people, not just people with disabilities. That's another reason several companies are working on it, including the W3C and Google.
What is the WCAG? How is the WCAG structured? And what are all the WCAG guidelines?
The WCAG 2.1 AA is the current legal standard for the Digital Government Act. This variant consists of 50 level AA success criteria.
WCAG 2.2 was published on October 5, 2023. This variant adds 6 new criteria. All of our surveys are based on the WCAG 2.2 AA.
The WCAG guidelines should be easier to understand and learn. Therefore, they can be better used. The readability of the current success criteria have always been a point of criticism.
Putting users' needs first makes digital content even more accessible. To do this, more different groups of users are taken into account. Also, “small” errors are no longer harshly rejected.
The WCAG needs to be written more flexibly. That way, things can be changed more quickly if there are new techniques or other developments. Or be adjusted as certain user groups acquire new online needs.
The main difference is that WCAG 3 makes it possible to make many more digital assets easily accessible. WCAG 2 still mainly assumes Web pages in the traditional sense. WCAG 3 goes beyond web content. This also changes the meaning of the acronym:
W3C Accessibility Guidelines.
WCAG 3 gets a completely new structure: the 4 principles with guidelines and success criteria disappear. The assessment model will also change. This will also have an impact on how legislation deals with this.
WCAG 3 distinguishes between guidelines (Guidelines) and desired outcomes (Outcomes).
Guidelines provide solutions to problems. Each guideline has different outcomes. These are measurable and similar to the success criteria of WCAG 2. They are a lot more detailed and specific, though. It makes them easier to understand. Because they address certain problems more specifically, there are probably also more guidelines and outcomes than WCAG 2 has now.
Each outcome has:
Critical errorsIf a critical error is found then this makes the web content on this guideline therefore non-compliant.
Point scoringPoints are assigned to each outcome. These points ultimately determine how accessible the content is. The total number of points is the score that determines the level.
WCAG 3 has three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Bronze is similar to WCAG 2 at level AA, but is not exactly the same. Your website or app meets the Bronze level if there are no critical errors and there is a score of 3.5 or higher in each category.
To determine a Silver or Gold level, you need to do much more, for example, user testing or testing with assistive technologies. The W3C says the following about this:
“Bronze is the minimum conformance level. Content that does not meet the requirements of the bronze level does not conform to WCAG 3.0.”
The acronym WCAG currently stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The name is very much limited to just “content.” As of WCAG 3.0, the abbreviation stands for W3C Accessibility Guidelines. The abbreviation is kept intentionally, though, because it is already widely used worldwide.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the organization that develops international Web standards. This also applies to the WCAG. The name also immediately shows that the new guidelines are not just for content. They deal with all forms of digital accessibility.
User needs are increasingly central. WCAG 3 therefore distinguishes more between the different functional limitations. Now we often only think about the four main groups:
Visual
Auditory
Motor
Cognitive
As of WCAG 3, that list will be a lot more comprehensive. In the current draft version , the following list of functional categories of impairments is listed. They group the needs of different users with impairments. The list may still be expanded.
Sight and visual
Hearing and auditory
Sensory impairments
Mobility
Motor skills
Physical and sensory overlaps
Speech
Attention
Language and literacy
Learning disabilities
Memory
Executive
Mental health
Cognitive and sensory overlaps
To what extent have our WCAG surveys been reliable for the Access Denied project?
WCAG 2.2 is final. Read all about the latest guidelines here
WCAG 2.2 is expected in September. How does it differ from version 2.1?
Sufficient colour contrast is very important. Especially for text. What about this in WCAG 2.2? And what will change in WCAG 3?
Want to know if your website or app is already WCAG compliant? Request a WCAG survey to have your website or app examined for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Complete audit according to WCAG-EM, based on WCAG 2.2, level AA.
Do you want to develop your platform digitally accessible? Then opt for a technology study.
Ideal if a full WCAG audit is not needed. We figure this out together.
Get a first impression of your website’s digital accessibility.
Audit your app and get an accessibility declaration report.
Check how accessibly your PDF documents are formatted
Perfect for after a major update or new functionality on your website, app or PDF document.
Can't choose? We are happy to help you get started on making the right choice.
Contact us
Complete audit according to WCAG-EM, based on WCAG 2.2, level AA.
Do you want to develop your platform digitally accessible? Then opt for a technology study.
Ideal if a full WCAG audit is not needed. We figure this out together.
Get a first impression of your website’s digital accessibility.
Audit your app and get an accessibility declaration report.
Check how accessibly your PDF documents are formatted
Perfect for after a major update or new functionality on your website, app or PDF document.
Can't choose? We are happy to help you get started on making the right choice.
Contact us
Complete audit according to WCAG-EM, based on WCAG 2.2, level AA.
Do you want to develop your platform digitally accessible? Then opt for a technology study.
Ideal if a full WCAG audit is not needed. We figure this out together.
Get a first impression of your website’s digital accessibility.
Audit your app and get an accessibility declaration report.
Check how accessibly your PDF documents are formatted
Perfect for after a major update or new functionality on your website, app or PDF document.
Can't choose? We are happy to help you get started on making the right choice.
Contact us
Complete audit according to WCAG-EM, based on WCAG 2.2, level AA.
Do you want to develop your platform digitally accessible? Then opt for a technology study.
Ideal if a full WCAG audit is not needed. We figure this out together.
Get a first impression of your website’s digital accessibility.
Audit your app and get an accessibility declaration report.
Check how accessibly your PDF documents are formatted
Perfect for after a major update or new functionality on your website, app or PDF document.
Can't choose? We are happy to help you get started on making the right choice.
Contact us
Complete audit according to WCAG-EM, based on WCAG 2.2, level AA.
Do you want to develop your platform digitally accessible? Then opt for a technology study.
Ideal if a full WCAG audit is not needed. We figure this out together.
Get a first impression of your website’s digital accessibility.
Audit your app and get an accessibility declaration report.
Check how accessibly your PDF documents are formatted
Perfect for after a major update or new functionality on your website, app or PDF document.
Can't choose? We are happy to help you get started on making the right choice.
Contact us