Internationally recognized as the standard for web accessibility, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have been helping developers build more accessible online experiences since 1999. Although WCAG 2.2 has yet to be finalized at the time of writing, the W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 3.0) are already in the works.
It's still in the very early drafting stage, and many unknowns exist. But by looking at what the future standards will require, you can stay ahead of the game and be ready for any new design and development requirements that may arise.
This article will cover what's known about WCAG 3.0 so far, how it may impact future web design and development, how to prepare for those changes and the effect they could have on your business.
An overview of WCAG 3.0
WCAG 2.0 was published in 2008, and the latest iteration — WCAG 2.1 — was published ten years later, in 2018. WCAG 2.2 is expected to be published in 2023, and WCAG 3.0 is still a few years away. One of the primary goals of WCAG is “harmonization” — to provide a comprehensive, globally-recognized set of standards, which is crucial to making online content more accessible everywhere.
To achieve this, WCAG makes recommendations based on the four principles of accessibility: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR). These principles are intended to help website designers and developers create websites accessible to people with different levels of ability.
WCAG 3.0 will also embrace these principles and provide accessibility requirements and guidance on how to meet them. But it will take a different approach to these recommendations, use an updated structure, and address the ever-changing landscape of online technology.
WCAG is developed by member groups of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). They plan to make WCAG 3:
- Easier to understand – Up until now, one of the criticisms of WCAG is that the documentation uses technical terminology, so it can be difficult for people who aren't very familiar with web technology. But the people in companies or organizations tasked with overseeing accessibility initiatives may not be technical experts. WCAG 3 will be written in plain language, making it easier for more people to understand and implement.
- More comprehensive – The next generation of WCAG will address a wider range of accessibility needs, helping improve accessibility for users with disabilities that current standards don't sufficiently address. WCAG 3 guidelines will also be more specific and include more information on how to achieve accessibility outcomes.
- More flexible – Currently, WCAG documentation has rigid, pass-or-fail requirements for its accessibility success criteria. WCAG 3 will accommodate more flexible solutions to achieve accessibility, and testing will be more flexible than a binary pass or fail. This added flexibility will help teams identify and implement solutions realistically.
- More user-oriented – Rather than the technical side of achieving accessibility, WCAG 3 will focus on user needs. Accessibility outcomes will replace success criteria with methods and how-to documents going into further detail on how to technically achieve said outcomes. It will also represent the voice of users and illustrate the need for accessibility through user stories.
How WCAG 3.0 could impact website design and development
Though still a few years away, when the WCAG 3.0 standards are ready for release, designers, developers, and content creators will need to be prepared. The draft will go through many more iterations before completion, so it's impossible to predict what the final document will comprise. But the current draft does give some insight into what designers and developers should anticipate.
Since WCAG 3 will include more extensive requirements, there will be more accessibility measures to consider when designing or updating websites and applications. Additionally, since the standards will also apply to digital tools, emerging technology, and other content aside from apps and websites, it will be necessary to re-inventory digital content, tools, and services to ensure that everything is noticed. Evaluation and audit methods will also need revisiting to ensure they align with new requirements.
Though the requirements will be more expansive, the methods for achieving them will be more flexible. So instead of trying to adapt certain techniques required for meeting specific accessibility criteria, designers and developers will have more options. They can work with their existing resources and systems to meet user needs.
And since WCAG 3.0 will consider the ever-changing landscape of the web and emerging technology, these guidelines will likely impact those technologies. : The standards will help shape future design and development patterns while responding to new needs as web technology advances.
Conclusion
The current version of WCAG already influences web design and development standards and patterns. And this will continue with WCAG 3.0. This will take some time to be completed and officially released. But being aware of what changes will come is a great way to stay ahead of the game and remain competitive and accessible in the current and future digital landscape.
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