Introduction to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 are a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make web content more accessible for people with different abilities.

In adherence with the Accessible Canada Act 2019, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) plays a significant role in implementing WCAG 2.1 AA within the federal government and must ensure that our digital content and services are accessible to all Canadians, including those with different abilities. This initiative aims to achieve fully accessible digital content and an inclusive Canada by 2040.

Whether you are a developer, designer, or content creator, understanding WCAG 2.1 is essential to ensuring that your websites and applications can be used by everyone.

Layers Of Guidance

  1. Principles
  2. Guidelines
    • Beneath the four principles are 13 guidelines designed to make content more accessible for users with different abilities. While these guidelines are not directly testable, they provide a framework and objectives to help you understand the success criteria and how to implement better techniques.
  3. Success Criteria
    • These are testable statements for each guideline that are intended to be used in situations where requirements and conformance testing are required (e.g., in design specification, purchasing, regulation, or contractual agreements). In order to meet the needs of different group and situations, there are three levels of conformance: A, AA, and AAA.
    • Level AA corresponds to the second-highest level of accessibility. Achieving level AA conformance means that your digital content meets a robust set of standards, making it usable by a broad range of people with different abilities. To learn more, consult the W3C’s guide on understanding levels of conformance.
  4. Techniques
    • There are wide variety of techniques to help you meet the guidelines and success criteria.
    • These techniques fall into two categories: those that are sufficient (i.e. that are needed to meet success criteria) and those that are advisory (i.e. that address accessibility barriers not covered by testable success criteria).

Different Roles For Designing Web Accessibility

  • The W3C’s Role: The W3C develops international standards for the Web (e.g., HTML, CSS, etc.).
  • The Web Accessibility Initiative’s (WAI) Role: The WAI provides materials to understand and implement accessibility.
  • Your Role: Uses W3C and WAI resources to make your websites, applications, other digital content more accessible and usable by everyone.

For more information, you can consult the W3C’s quick reference guide on how to meet the WCAG 2.1 requirements.

Disclaimer: This article provides an overview of WCAG 2.1. For comprehensive guidance, consult the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.

Should you have questions or concerns, please reach out to the IT Accessibility Office Awareness Team.

Visit ESDC's IT Accessibility Office to learn more about accessibility and ESDC's Accessibility Plan.