WCAG 2.2: Where to Begin

When you’re staring down 86 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) success criteria for each page of your site, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. The old (and slightly macabre) adage “How do you eat an elephant?” rings true. It’s also how to approach WCAG 2.2 if you’re a beginner: one bite at a time.

WCAG Quick Wins

To avoid getting swamped, it might be best to start with smaller tasks instead of trying to understand the full scope of WCAG. Also, it’s important to note you don’t necessarily have to audit every page of your platform. (As long as you have code coverage!)

Here are a few things you and your team can implement without much technical knowledge.

Text Alternatives

Apply 1.1.1 Non-Text Content guideline by ensuring that images and non-text content, such as meaningful icons, charts, etc., have descriptive alternative text that conveys their meaning.

Learning how to use alt text across your site and socials is a big step! Before you know it, it feels strange not to use it. But, new trend alert, be cautious before using AI to generate alt text.

Contrast Adjustments

1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) and 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast establish basic contrast guidelines for all meaningful text, symbols, and interactive components. And yes, this includes logos and states such as focus and hover. Text contrast against its background must be at least 4.5:1 for standard text. Interactive elements and graphics should have a contrast ratio of (at least) 3:1.

Not sure what all that means? Luckily, we have a free WCAG color contrast checker that does the heavy lifting for you.

Go ahead, make a splash with color, just make sure it’s legible for everyone. And ensure that color is not the only visual means of conveying information, as per WCAG’s 1.4.1 Use of Color. For example, links should have underlines. Ask yourself, if the color were removed, would this still be operable? Speaking of links…

Link Purpose

To follow 2.4.4 Link Purpose, go ahead and make sure links are more specific than “click here”. Describe where you’re sending a user. Give your audience (and any computers following along) a map, and everyone will have a smoother journey.

Accessible Headings

Like stops on the map, headings help a user navigate.

Levels of a heading should increase as the information becomes more fine-tuned according to WCAG 1.3.1. For example, I’m using H3 here because this information is more granular. In addition to information becoming more digestible and navigable, there are SEO perks. Win-win.

WCAG 2.2 References

Start implementing those quick wins, and you’re already taking steps towards accessibility progress! But go ahead and bookmark these for when you’re ready for the next WCAG steps.

Knowledge Bases

If you’re encountering a specific error or know the words to look it up, check out a knowledge base, such as the Web Accessibility WCAG 2.2 Knowledge Base. Or this plain language WCAG project that is friendly for beginners.

Courses and Videos

We also have a thorough WCAG Manual Auditing tutorial library on our YouTube Channel. Sign up for our WCAG Training Course, Manual Audit Mondays, where you can follow along with videos sent to you each week and complete an audit in six months.

Each Thursday at 2:00 p.m. EST, we host a webinar that delves into a variety of accessibility topics. Plus, the Accessible Web team will help answer any accessibility questions you may have. Register for a webinar and come say hi!

Let Us Help You with WCAG 2.2

Here’s where we lay out what Accessible Web offers. We don’t just want to make the web accessible; we also want our clients to learn accessibility. That’s why our software include the following:

• Remediation Instructions: Integrated WCAG instructions in our accessibility testing software, Accessible Web RAMP, and accessibility browser extension, Accessible Web Helper, help you improve your accessibility score without hunting down the answers or referencing other tabs.
• Accessible Web Academy: Our career-specific bundles offer material relevant to your job description to help power up your web accessibility knowledge. Gain relevant skills and explore how you can help make the web accessible.

Want an Expert to Handle Your Accessibility Needs?

Get in touch to discuss your accessibility goals. Or go ahead and fill out the forms and book one of the following:

• Manual Accessibility Audits: Hire an expert accessibility specialist or work through a complete WCAG audit.
• VPATs and ACRs: Communicate your accessibility status to products to potential customers, procurement officers, and other stakeholders.