Showing You Care Through Accessibility Compliance

Nisha Oommen

Empathy and sensitivity to the needs of others especially those with special needs can seep through everything you do even on the web. Recognizing the need for this, the World Wide Web Consortium(W3C), introduced their Web Accessibility Initiative. Through this WAI, they have been improving upon a set of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

What is WCAG?

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of recommendations or guidelines making web content accessible to all. The initial list (WCAG 1.0) consisting of 14 points focused on one aspect each of accessibility and a checklist against the associated webpage feature.

Is your Website WCAG Compliant and if so to What Level?

Is there an equivalent alternative to audio content or visual content?
Color needs to be defined in textual format
Proper usage of markup and style sheets
State the natural language used
Responsive tables
Pages using new technologies are device independent
Provide user control of time sensitive content changes
Embedded user interfaces should be easily accessible
Designs should not be device dependent
Backwards compatible and can be used with assistive technologies
Adherence to W3C guidelines
Provide content orientation and context information
Navigations that are clear and intuitive
Documents clear and straightforward

The improved version called the WCAG 2.0 divided the guidelines under four classifications namely visual clarity, ease of operation, ease of information gathering and finally robust. WCAG 2.1 version checks for compliance with three main user groups, namely Cognitive or learning problem , low vision, special needs in handling mobile device.

Visual Clarity

Provide text alternatives for any non text content including colors so that it can be changed into specialized tools like large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language
Provide alternatives for time-based media
Responsive
Clear separation of visual and audio content including foreground and background.

Ease Of Operation

Keyboard alternatives for all functionalities
Users should get enough time to read and use content
Features or content that does not break
Intuitive workflow and easy to find navigation

Ease Of Information Gathering

Text content should be comprehensible and readable
Page layout standardized and intuitive
Help users from making mistakes and ease of correction

Robust

Maximize compatibility with assistive technologies

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