Who Needs to Follow WCAG Guidelines?

 Today, everything is online. Your website is like your shop, office or customer service counter. So, your inaccessible website could get you in trouble.

Right now, lawsuits about websites are growing fast. And many of them are not even from real customers. They are from serial litigants who search for websites with accessibility problems, then send legal notices and ask for money.

You can avoid it by learning about WCAG guidelines and following them.

WCAG make websites work for everyone

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are made to ensure barrier free access of digital products to users who cannot see well, hear well or use a mouse or touchscreen.

If a user have trouble understanding or reading they cannot access a website without WCAG compliance. It is unfair to such users and illegal in many places.

WCAG has Level A – Basic, Level AA – Standard (most businesses need this) and Level AAA – Advanced.

For most websites, WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 at Level AA is what you should aim for.

Who needs to follow WCAG?

Almost everyone with a website should follow these rules. You should care about WCAG guidelines if you belong to the following categories.

Businesses

WCAG is necessary for those who sell something, offer services, or get leads through your website. No matter you are a big brand or a small store, if your site is not accessible, you could lose customers or get sued.

Schools and Colleges

Education must be equal. If your online classes or study materials do not work for students with disabilities, you could face legal trouble.

Hospitals and Clinics

Patients must be able to book appointments, read health info, and contact you even with their disabilities.

Government Websites

WCAG is a law for public services. These must be accessible to all citizens.

eCommerce Stores

Many lawsuits are now targeting online shops. If someone cannot use your site to buy something that is a problem.

Nonprofits and NGOs

Just because you are not-for-profit does not mean you are safe. If you serve the public, you need to be accessible.

If your website is public then you should follow WCAG.

What happens if you ignore WCAG 2.2 rules?

You could get sued, lose trust and lose money. Missing WCAG compliance means you could be forced to shut your site until you fix it

Lawsuits are expensive. Even if you did not mean any harm, the legal costs and stress can be huge. Serial litigants are everywhere. They use tools to scan websites, looking for small errors. Then they send legal complaints. They are fast, and they do not care if you are small or new.

How to achieve WCAG 2.2 compliance?

Get a WCAG compliance checker
Check your site and find out what needs fixing. Tools can check

Text contrast

Keyboard navigation

Image alt texts

Form labels

Video captions

Screen reader support

Use both tools and humans
Free WCAG compliance checker are okay for a start. But they miss a lot. Real users test better. So the best way is to use a hybrid method: first scan with tools, then go for thorough manual audits.

Fix the Problems
This is called remediation. Your developer or an accessibility expert should update the code, text, buttons and forms so that your site follows WCAG.

Repeat Testing Regularly
WCAG rules get updated like the latest version in WCAG 2.2. Your website changes too. So, test every few months or after any big update.

Conclusion

You are a possible target of serial litigant if your website is public. Lawsuits are only growing. So follow WCAG and stop problems before they happen.

Everyone should be able to use the web including people with disabilities. Need help with WCAG Compliance testing or audits? Talk to real experts at ADACP. They know how to protect your business and keep your website open for everyone.