Frequently Asked Questions

It means building sites so anyone can use them. This covers people with vision, hearing, motor or cognitive differences. It’s about clearing away barriers so you can read, click or scroll no matter how you browse.

They break WCAG into four parts:

• Perceivable. You must sense the content.
• Operable. You must move around and use controls.
• Understandable. You must grasp the info and how it works.
• Robust. It must hold up to different devices and tools.

Imagine you add alt text to every image. A friend who relies on a screen reader then hears what’s in your photos. It’s simple but it opens doors.

WCAG 2.2 is the latest version of the guidelines. It defines three levels: A, AA and AAA. Most sites aim for AA. AAA sits on top and is tougher to meet. See our WCAG guide for further details.

It gives everyone equal access. You widen your audience and meet legal requirements. Search engines tend to favour well-built sites too. It even improves quality for all users, not just those with disabilities.

There are several ways to check:

• Use our free Accessibility Scanner for an automated overview
• Try navigating without a mouse — keyboard only
• Use a screen reader such as NVDA (Windows) or VoiceOver (Mac/iOS)
• Check colour contrast ratios with our Contrast Checker

Automated tools catch around 30–40% of issues. For a full picture, you need manual testing.

Level AA covers core barriers like contrast thresholds, text spacing and clear navigation. Level AAA adds stricter rules — higher contrast ratios, sign language for video and extended audio descriptions. AAA is harder to meet and rarely required by law.

A comprehensive accessibility statement should include:

• Your commitment to accessibility and digital inclusion
• Which guidelines you follow (e.g. WCAG 2.2 AA)
• Your current compliance status
• Known limitations and barriers you’re aware of
• Contact information for reporting issues
• Your feedback process and response timeframe
• The date the statement was last reviewed

A basic example: “We are committed to digital inclusion. Our site follows WCAG 2.2 AA guidelines. If you encounter barriers please email accessibility@oursite.com and we will help.”

• WAVE — for visual accessibility reports
• axe — for developer-level checks in the browser
• Lighthouse — for audits built into Chrome DevTools
• Colour Contrast Analyzer — for checking contrast ratios
• NVDA or VoiceOver — screen readers for real-world testing
• Our free Accessibility Scanner — quick automated overview

Clear headings that stack in order. Images with alt text. Forms with labels that stay visible. Keyboard focus rings you can see. Good contrast so text is readable. Content that makes sense when a screen reader announces it.

It means a site meets every level A and AA success criterion defined in WCAG 2.2. That covers the essential requirements for most users and is the benchmark most legal frameworks reference.