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CISW 370 - Designing Accessible Sites
Jeannie M.

WCAG 2.0

What is WCAG?

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 is an overview of guidelines to make the web more accessible to those people with disabilities. The range of disabilities may include blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, learning disabilities, cognitive limitations, limited movement, speech disabilities, photo sensitivities, and possibly a combination of these.

Meeting the Guidelines

There are four basic guidelines to meet when making a website accessible.

  • Perceivable
  • Operable
  • Understandable
  • Robust

I. Perceivable

Information and user interface be must presented in a way that users can perceive. Non-text content must be available in other forms, such as braille, speech, symbols, or simpler language. The use of alt-text for photos and captions for videos, as well as the contrast of the foreground and background colors are examples of this.

II. Operable

Make functionality operable through a keyboard to ensure people who may not have the means to use a mouse. Design content in a way to prevent seizures. Make content easy to navigate.

III. Understandable

Try to not use language such as jargon in which some people may not understand. Keep it simple, and not too complicated. Ensure navigation is in a place that the users may instinctively find it. People understand that certain things are kept in order, so keep it consistent.

IV. Robust

Ensure coding and content is robust enough to be usable by any user agents or assistive technology.