In the last twenty years, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a series of guidelines developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and World Wide Web Consortium, or the W3C, have fundamentally shaped how web designers and developers view web accessibility. These guidelines provide a path forward for site owners to ensure their web content is accessible for persons with disabilities, and for all user agents including websites and mobile apps. As technology continues to evolve, WAI has announced it is in the process of developing its newest set of guidelines, WCAG 3.0. But what changes does 3.0 bring, and how will it impact accessibility initiatives overall?
Draft published for comments
The first draft of WCAG 3.0 was posted by the W3C on January 21, 2021. Although the first draft is already available to be read by the public, WCAG 3.0 is not expected to be officially introduced until 2023. This provides time for the W3C to gain valuable feedback from the public and adjust their guidelines accordingly while conducting their own research. Here are some of the most notable changes coming to WCAG in version 3.0.
Plain language
For some, previous versions of the guidelines were difficult to interpret, hard to implement, and sometimes impossible to sell to leadership, given the complexity and lack of properly trained staff. WCAG 3.0 appears to have incorporated that feedback into its process. For those who were not "techies," one of the most noticeable changes of this draft may be the readability of the guidelines, designed to appeal to a broader audience. It is arguable that guidelines in WCAG 3.0 are more concise and simplistic in comparison to earlier counterparts, broken down to smaller, granular, easier-to-digest steps so site owners of any experience level can utilize the recommendations.
More understandable
One of the stated objectives and outcomes of the first draft is to make outcomes "more understandable by people who are not experts in technology." ADA Coordinators and accessibility professionals working to implement WCAG 2.0/2.1 often encountered serious challenges in attempting to interpret the standards as published. Understanding that every image requires alternative text, and even further, how that alternative text should be published, is easy enough to grasp with sufficient research, but professionals who are more accustomed to finding accommodations and managing large infrastructure remediation projects struggled with providing direction to information and technology professionals when they were faced with complex coding problems.
For example, when referring to structured content, requirement 3.4 in 3.0 is written, in common language:
Guideline: Use sections, headings, and sub-headings to organize content.
User-oriented
Another intended objective of 3.0, as stated by the W3C is to make the guidelines "More user-need oriented instead of technology oriented."
Professionals working in accessibility have long known that real solutions are often specific to the community, and the practicality of some requirements of previous versions of WCAG 2.0/2.1, when measured against the population being served, is sometimes unachievable and unnecessary. By taking a more user-oriented approach, the guidelines may now be seen as the equivalent of user stories, which are much more flexible and effective when the objective is to identify solutions to problems for unique user groups, regions, and communities.
More flexibility in testing
Other changes include the reduced use of the true/false grading criteria, which has been replaced with a scale rating from 0 to 4. Also, the A, AA, and AAA scoring level has been respectively replaced by bronze, silver, and gold.
To achieve bronze, the minimum conformance level, a score of at least 3.5 must be met in each category, and views and processes must not have critical errors. Achieving silver and gold requires meeting all the bronze criteria, and silver in the case of gold, as well as passing holistic tests that have yet to be explained, but will be included in further drafts. An editor’s note indicates that future drafts will explore how conforming alternative versions fit into the new conformance model.
Notable mention: virtual reality
The new conformance model also aims to address the vast scope of available technologies and a wide array of user needs. This means that mobile devices and entertainment agents such as augmented and virtual reality are now included in the guidelines, opening up opportunities for more accessible gaming in the future and universal accessibility standards in previously unexplored devices. These guidelines include adding closed captioning to virtual reality and establishing accessibility standards that enable those with mobility issues to interact with a virtual environment.
Conclusion
The new model aims to encourage webmasters to continuously strive for progress versus stopping at a specific conformance level (for example WCAG 2.0 AA), incorporate the experiences people with disabilities live into solutions, and provide flexibility for developers and designers, assuming the impact on accessibility is minimal.
As with previous versions, WCAG 3.0 is an ongoing effort that will be updated in the coming months and years, allowing for the guidelines to adapt as technology evolves. It’s recommended to consult the guidelines annually or bi-annually for any updates and changes made to the guidelines until 3.0 is officially published in 2023.
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