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Guide · WCAG 2.1

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What is WCAG 2.1?

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 is the international standard for web accessibility, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It defines how to make web content accessible to people with disabilities — including visual, auditory, cognitive, motor, and speech disabilities.

WCAG 2.1 is the required standard for compliance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), EN 301 549, and accessibility laws in many countries worldwide.

WCAG conformance levels

A
Level A
Minimum accessibility. Fixes the most severe barriers.
AA
Level AA
Required for legal compliance (EAA, ADA, EN 301 549).
AAA
Level AAA
Enhanced accessibility. Not required for compliance.

For European Accessibility Act compliance, you need to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This includes all Level A criteria plus the additional Level AA requirements.

Key WCAG 2.1 AA criteria your site must meet

Perceivable — can users perceive all content?

1.1.1
Non-text content: Images must have alt text describing their purpose. Decorative images use alt="".
1.3.1
Info and relationships: Structure like headings, lists, and tables must be conveyed through semantics, not just visual formatting.
1.4.3
Contrast (minimum): Text must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background (3:1 for large text).
1.4.4
Resize text: Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality.

Operable — can users operate all functionality?

2.1.1
Keyboard: All functionality must be accessible using only a keyboard.
2.4.3
Focus order: Keyboard focus order must preserve meaning and operability.
2.4.7
Focus visible: Keyboard focus indicator must be visible at all times.

Understandable — is the content readable and predictable?

3.1.1
Language of page: HTML lang attribute must be set correctly (e.g., lang="en").
3.3.1
Error identification: Input errors must be described in text, not just highlighted in red.
3.3.2
Labels or instructions: Form inputs must have clear labels associated programmatically.

Robust — does it work with assistive technologies?

4.1.1
Parsing: HTML must be valid — no duplicate IDs, properly nested elements.
4.1.2
Name, role, value: UI components must expose their name, role, and state to assistive technologies via ARIA or native HTML.

How automated WCAG checking works

Automated tools like EAAcheck can detect approximately 30–40% of WCAG violations. These include measurable criteria like color contrast ratios, missing alt attributes, missing form labels, invalid HTML structure, missing lang attributes, and ARIA errors.

The remaining ~60% of WCAG criteria require human review — for example, whether alt text is actually accurate and meaningful, whether the reading order makes sense, and whether complex interactions are usable with assistive technology.

An automated check is the fastest way to find the most common violations. Use it as the first step, then review the harder-to-detect issues with a screen reader test or a manual audit.

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What EAAcheck detects

Each violation in the report includes the WCAG criterion it violates, why it matters, and what needs to be fixed — formatted for both developers and non-technical stakeholders.