What is WCAG 2.1 Level AA?
The accessibility standard most legal and procurement obligations point to.
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What is WCAG 2.1 Level AA?
WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the international standard for web accessibility, published by the W3C. It defines requirements so people with visual, motor, hearing or cognitive disabilities can use web content, and it is the level most legal and procurement obligations reference — including GIGW 3.0 in India.
The four principles
| Perceivable | Content must be presentable in ways users can perceive — alt text, captions, sufficient contrast. |
|---|---|
| Operable | All functionality must work by keyboard, with enough time and no seizure-inducing motion. |
| Understandable | Text must be readable and behaviour predictable, with clear error messages. |
| Robust | Content must work with assistive technologies, which requires valid semantic markup. |
The requirements that catch most sites
- Text contrast of at least 4.5:1, and 3:1 for interface components.
- Every function reachable and operable by keyboard alone.
- A visible focus indicator, not removed by CSS.
- Form fields with programmatically associated labels.
- Meaningful alternative text, not filenames or 'image'.
- Content usable at 200% zoom without loss of function.
Why building it in is cheaper
Most of WCAG is a consequence of using correct HTML and adequate contrast, which costs almost nothing during design. Retrofitting means reworking templates, components and content across a finished site, and the result is usually partial.
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