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WCAG Accessibility Compliance
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines define international standards for making digital products accessible to people with disabilities. AIQA helps organisations meet WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 requirements — reducing legal risk, reaching more users, and building products that work for everyone.
What It Is
The Global Standard for Digital Accessibility
Published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG is a technically specific, internationally recognised standard for web accessibility. WCAG 2.1 is the current widely-adopted baseline. WCAG 2.2, published in October 2023, adds additional success criteria focused on mobile users and people with cognitive disabilities.
In the U.S., WCAG 2.1 AA is the benchmark referenced by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Failure to meet it creates significant litigation exposure — ADA digital accessibility lawsuits exceeded 4,600 in 2023.
Three Conformance Levels
Level A — minimum requirements, addresses most critical barriers. Level AA — the widely-required legal and commercial standard. Level AAA — highest level, aspirational for most organisations. Most legal requirements and client contracts reference Level AA.
Quick Facts
- ▸Published by W3C — World Wide Web Consortium
- ▸Current version WCAG 2.2 (Oct 2023)
- ▸Target level AA for most organisations
- ▸U.S. law ADA Title III, Section 508
- ▸EU law EN 301 549, European Accessibility Act
The Framework
Four Principles (POUR)
Perceivable
Information and UI components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
e.g. Text alternatives for images; captions for audio; sufficient colour contrast.
Operable
UI components and navigation must be operable.
e.g. Full keyboard operability; no seizure-inducing flashes; enough time to complete tasks.
Understandable
Information and UI operation must be understandable.
e.g. Readable text; predictable behaviour; input assistance and error correction.
Robust
Content must be robust enough to be interpreted by assistive technologies.
e.g. Valid, well-structured HTML/ARIA; compatible with current and future user agents.
How AIQA Helps
From Audit to Compliant Product
Accessibility Audit
We conduct a thorough WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA audit combining automated scanning, manual expert review, and screen-reader testing to produce a prioritised remediation roadmap.
Remediation Support
We work directly with your development teams to remediate issues — providing specific code fixes, ARIA patterns, and design guidance rather than just a report.
VPATs & Documentation
We help you produce Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) and accessibility conformance reports needed for government contracts and enterprise procurement.
Common Challenges
Where Teams Struggle
Automated Tools Are Not Enough
Automated scanners catch ~30% of WCAG issues. The rest require manual testing, screen-reader evaluation, and expert judgement.
Dynamic Content
Single-page apps, modals, live regions, and custom components introduce complex ARIA requirements that developers frequently get wrong.
Design-Stage Gaps
Most remediation costs arise from fixing accessibility issues that could have been prevented with inclusive design decisions made earlier.
Ongoing Maintenance
New features and content regularly introduce new issues. One-time audits become stale within weeks without embedded accessibility practice.
Other Compliance Frameworks
Start With a Complimentary Accessibility Review
We will run a quick scan of your most critical pages, share the top-priority issues, and give you a clear picture of your WCAG conformance level. No cost, no commitment.