Web Access Centre

The Website Accessibility Initiative

Summary: The Website Accessibility (WAI) outlines the international guidelines on accessible web design.

• The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 1 (WCAG1)
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2 (WCAG2)
• The WAI and See it Right
• Laws and standards

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The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

The WAI is affiliated with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and works with organisations around the world to increase the accessibility of the web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development.

As part of this work the WAI published the first version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in 1999. These are accepted as the definitive set of international guidelines used for building accessible websites. All other guidelines and standards are derived from these.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 1 (WCAG1)

The guidelines currently in use globally are WCAG1. These comprise of 65 checkpoints broken down into three conformance levels, priority one (A), two (AA) and three (AAA):

• A - The most basic standard. Websites must comply with all of the priority one checkpoints to achieve this standard.
• AA - A higher standard than A. Websites must comply with all of the priority one and two checkpoints to achieve this standard. A Web content developer should satisfy this checkpoint.
• AAA - A high standard of accessibility. Websites must comply with all priority one, two and three checkpoints to achieve this standard. A Web content developer may address this checkpoint.

Read about the Web Accessibility Content Guidelines version 1

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2 (WCAG2)

WCAG2 is currently being written by the WAI and is due for release late 2008. The Proposed Recommendation (3rd November 2008) guidelines group checkpoints under four main principles:

• Perceivable - all content must be perceivable, ie provide text for non-text content
• Operable - interface elements in the content must be operable, ie access via a keyboard or keyboard interface
• Understandable - content and controls must be understandable, ie text should not be ambiguous
• Robust - content must be robust enough to work with current and future technologies, ie will work with old, new and future technology

Read about the Web Accessibility Content Guidelines version 2 - Proposed Recommendation

The WAI and See it Right

The RNIB See it Right accessible website checkpoints are taken from the WAI guidelines. The See it Right checkpoints set a standard of accessibility exceeding WAI single 'A' and close to WAI 'AA'.

As well as requiring compliance with WAI priority one checkpoints, the requirements for gaining our Accessible Website logo incorporate a range of priority two and three checkpoints which have particular relevance to users with sight problems. The See it Right checkpoints have been selected because they are realistic, achievable and have the highest impact on the accessibility of a website.

Download the See it Right checkpoints (Word 381KB)

Laws and standards

• The Web Accessibility Initiative
• UK law
• The Disability Discrimination Act
• Business benefits
• The ethical case.

For Web Access Centre updates email webaccess@rnib.org.uk

Content author: webaccess@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 07/11/2008 11:49