WCAG 2.2 Compliance: A Comprehensive Guide to Conformance
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 is a set of rules and recommendations formulated by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure web content is accessible to all users. The guidelines offer a broad spectrum of suggestions that make web content more user-friendly and accessible. These guidelines are framed with insights from a diverse, global community consisting of member organizations, academic professionals, W3C staff, and contributions from the general public.
What Does Conformance Mean?
Conformance to a standard signifies that the requirements of that standard are met or satisfied. As per WCAG 2.0, the requirements are denoted as the 'Success Criteria'. Conforming to WCAG 2.0 means that web content satisfies these Success Criteria without any violations. Specifically, there are five requirements that content must fulfill to be deemed 'conforming' to WCAG 2.0.
Levels of Conformance
- Level A: This is the foundational level of conformance. At this stage, web administrators address critical accessibility issues, thereby ensuring their websites are generally accessible.
- Level AA: This is an intermediate level of conformance. Here, administrators address both fundamental and some advanced accessibility issues, enhancing the website's overall accessibility.
- Level AAA: This is the pinnacle of conformance. Web administrators address all basic and advanced accessibility concerns, guaranteeing the highest level of website accessibility.
Conformance Requirements
For a web page to be compliant with WCAG 2.2, it must meet all the Success Criteria for the chosen level of conformance. Terms like MAY, MUST, MUST NOT, NOT RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDED, SHOULD, and SHOULD NOT should be understood as described in [RFC2119]. Given the various situations and the varied levels of accessibility they demand or permit, WCAG 2.0 offers three distinct conformance levels, each with its own set of Success Criteria.
Understanding the Accessibility-Supported Concept
Conformance can only be achieved through ways of using technologies that are accessibility-supported. The main content of WCAG 2.2 is normative, outlining requirements that influence conformance claims. However, the initial material, appendices, "non-normative" sections, diagrams, examples, and notes are considered informative. Such non-normative material offers guidance to help interpret the guidelines but doesn't set requirements that affect a conformance claim.
Best Practices for Achieving Conformance
Start with Level A
The most effective strategy for conformance begins at Level A, progressing next to Level AA. After this, moving to Level AAA becomes considerably more straightforward.
Focus on Key Criteria
The WCAG standard 2.4.7, termed focus visible, is a crucial success criterion for conformance. It mandates that the keyboard focus is evident and recognizable, a vital feature for users dependent on keyboard navigation.
Utilize Reference Guides
For webmasters, app owners, and developers, the WCAG 2.2 quick reference guide is a valuable resource.
To recap, WCAG 2.2 Compliance is a framework developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to render web content more accessible. Adhering to these guidelines requires meeting all the Success Criteria at the chosen conformance level. These guidelines are segmented into three conformance levels (Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA) based on their design or visual impact. The optimal path to conformance begins at Level A, transitioning to Level AA, with Level AAA being the final stage.
