WCAG & you: What marketers need to know

If you struggle to understand the differences between the European Accessibility Act (EAA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and how each of them relates to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), you’re not alone. Different international requirements and a plethora of acronyms can make it dizzying.   

The fact is, confusing though the guidance might be, staying on top of them is a marketing team’s responsibility, both from a business perspective and from an inclusivity perspective. Indeed, if you’re not on top of what’s going on in digital accessibility compliance, then you’re not going to be able to plan well (never a good state to be in), and you won’t be in a position to protect your brand.   

Rest assured: Accessibility gets easier the more you integrate it into your everyday work. Stick with us and you’ll be speaking about it like a pro in no time.   

What WCAG is, was, and will be  

WCAG, short for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, serves as a set of international standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines provide a global framework to ensure that digital content, including websites and applications, is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.   

Think of WCAG as a cornerstone in promoting inclusivity on the web, and as a collection of standards that empower developers and content creators in designing and implementing accessible digital experiences.  

Christina Adams, Siteimprove’s digital accessibility manager, approaches WCAG as a baseline for meeting the needs of diverse users who interact with your marketing content. “WCAG is the technical standard defined by numerous international regulations to ensure equitable access to digital content,” she explains, adding that the regulations reflect how people consume information efficiently in digital environments. Following the guidelines, she says, is “an easy way to make sure your marketing content performs its best and reaches the widest audience possible.” 

Initially introduced with WCAG 1.0 in 1999, this framework has evolved significantly over the years to keep pace with advancements in technology and the changing landscape of digital accessibility. WCAG 2.1 added 17 new success criteria on top of 2.0 to further support people with low vision and people with cognitive disabilities, as well as criteria that tackled mobile devices. In October of 2023 WCAG 2.2 became the officially recognized recommendation building upon the previous versions of the guidelines by adding nine new success criterion and removing 1 previous success criterion. 

WCAG conformance has three different tiers of compliance: A, AA, and AAA.  

Level A (Minimum Accessibility): Level A conformance requires addressing the most basic accessibility barriers. Web content needs to be available to users with disabilities and assistive technology users. It covers fundamental aspects such as alternative text for images, sufficient color contrast, and content that’s navigable via keyboard.  

Level AA (Moderate Accessibility): Level AA conformance builds upon Level A and includes additional criteria that further enhance accessibility. Content must be usable, functional, and efficient for users. This level involves captions for videos, keyboard accessibility for interactive elements, and minimizing content that may cause seizures.  

Level AAA (Maximum Accessibility): Level AAA conformance represents the highest, most comprehensive level of accessibility. It ensures accessibility for the widest range of users and assistive technologies. To meet Level AAA, sign language interpretation for multimedia content larger clickable areas for buttons and links and other enhanced requirements. It also emphasizes techniques that benefit neurodiverse users and those with cognitive disabilities.  

AAA compliance isn’t for everyone (at least not right away)   

Level AAA conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is above and beyond any current legal standard, however the guidelines do benefit users. In terms of strictly complying with regulations Level AAA may not be necessary. 

For example, a Level AAA success criterion for re-authentication requires that a user can continue their activity without data loss after a session expires – this may not be possible with the infrastructure of your website or application and would not be possible to meet without re-engineering your site. 

It is important to know that WCAG versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 build upon each other. Even if the legal requirements you are targeting for compliance is WCAG 2.1, setting your standard to the most current recommendation of WCAG 2.2 will include all 2.1 requirements and future-proof your efforts for any regulatory updates or new rules that may be published.  

You may have heard of the next version, WCAG 3.0, which is currently being drafted by experts in the digital accessibility community. It won’t be completed for a few more years, but it will take a different approach to how we measure and assess accessibility in digital content. 

“The next iteration of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, WCAG 3.0, is in the works and will be a drastic departure to how we test and analyze marketing content and digital experiences for accessibility,” Christina says.  

There’s no need to incorporate WCAG 3.0 into your work as a digital marketer (it’s not even final, after all). “When it’s ready to be the recommendation, there will be support and guidance from the community on how to best incorporate the new process,” she advises.  

WCAG touches everything, including marketing

WCAG isn’t just within the purview of web design, despite common assumptions. From content creation to wider branding decisions, marketers have their role to play, too. When not treated as simply another buzzword, accessibility can serve as a pillar of brand integrity. Approach it as a fundamental component of your company’s digital presence: one that can significantly impact its trajectory.   

After all, with nearly 97 percent of the internet still inaccessible for individuals with disabilities, companies that neglect website accessibility risk missing out on over $13 trillion in annual disposable income from this segment.  

How to get started   

Good news if your organization has been dragging its heels: Weaving accessibility into your brand’s DNA doesn’t have to be an all-at-once operation.   

Rather, it begins with education within your organization that demonstrates how accessibility principles affect each team’s business functions. This education may come from webinars, conferences, newsletters, and articles from accessibility-focused blogs.   

“The digital accessibility community is one of the most collaborative out there, and there are lots of resources available that marketers can reference,” Christina notes. “I highly encourage marketers to connect with digital accessibility experts and the wider disabilities community to understand the need for creating accessible content.”  

Because accessibility involves so many moving parts and requires a commitment to continuous improvement, it’s worth creating a working group or a community of practice that takes on a leadership role. When that working group includes representatives from different departments and levels of the organization, they can share the responsibility of following developments and news in the accessibility space and work together on education and other initiatives to get the rest of the organization on the same page.   

Never forget that digital accessibility shouldn’t be the responsibility of one person within an organization. “It is truly cross functional work that demands buy-in from all levels and roles,” Christina notes, adding that simple adjustments in day-to-day work can make a positive impact on your users and support accessibly compliance. “It all starts with awareness and understanding the ‘why’ behind the need for digital accessibility in your marketing initiatives,” she says. 

Creating this formalized commitment helps signal genuine intention to foster a culture where accessibility is everyone's responsibility, which is what helps ensure that accessibility standards are upheld across the board.   

Practically speaking, this means adopting a schedule of regular checks and/or assigning roles within teams further reinforces this commitment. If you have a legal department, they should update the organization about changes in compliance legislation in your industry.   

Also, your writers, designers, and media creators need to understand guidelines that apply to language, graphics and multimedia before they create content. Your social media team should follow best practices for alternative text, and your web developers should ensure they’re using semantic coding practices.   

Accessibility is a big task, if you include all the right people, there should be more than enough hands to make it less daunting.   

As a marketer, you already know that the most effective marketing originates with a customer-centric mindset. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines encourage considerations of diverse perspectives and needs, meaning that as a marketer, you can ensure messaging is accessible to a wider audience and reflects a spirit of inclusivity.   

Make accessibility the cornerstone of your next great campaign  

Including accessibility into your marketing campaigns has huge potential for brands to thrive in the digital future, but it means understanding and acknowledging the real world your brand exists in. It’s diverse, always changing and the same one we need to make available and approachable for all. Education about these issues is the very first step, and if you’re looking for somewhere to start, we have a wealth of resources here on our blog, as well as on-demand webinars.