WCAG Conformance Levels Explained: Your Guide to A, AA, and AAA Accessibility
#WCAG #WCAGLevels #WebAccessibility
Landing on a website that is impossible to navigate is not just frustrating, it indicates a lack of accessibility.
Enter WCAG, or the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a global standard for making digital content usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. However, what’s important to know is that there are different WCAG compliance levels – A, AA, and AAA.
If you’re feeling confused about the different WCAG levels and which one applies to your website, we’re going to break everything down so that you have the information you need.
Once you start delving into web accessibility, it can feel overwhelming, but conforming to a particular WCAG level is actually a lot simpler than it seems. It’s just about knowing where to start.
What’s more important is that you’re taking steps to address any web accessibility issues on your site.
Over a billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, whether it’s visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor-related. If your website isn’t accessible, you’re potentially shutting the door on a massive portion of your audience. That’s not just bad for your user experience, it’s also bad for business.
But accessibility isn’t only about inclusivity. It’s also a legal requirement in most countries. Failing to meet accessibility standards like WCAG can lead to lawsuits, fines, and damage to your brand’s reputation. Just ask the companies that have found themselves in court over inaccessible websites – it’s a costly oversight.
On the flip side, accessible websites tend to perform better across the board. Improved usability, faster load times, and a more semantic structure often means better SEO rankings and happier users (with or without disabilities). It’s a win-win.
Bottom line? Prioritizing accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.
Source: Brooke Cagle
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of internationally recognized standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make digital content more accessible to people with disabilities. These guidelines provide practical recommendations for designing websites, apps, and other digital experiences that are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for all users, regardless of ability.
WCAG is organized into three conformance levels: A, AA, and AAA, each representing a deeper level of accessibility. Most organizations aim to meet at least Level AA to balance usability, effort, and compliance.
Let’s get into this a little further.
Let’s unpack how the different WCAG compliance levels compare.
| WCAG Level | Explanation | Who It Impacts | Examples of Guidelines | Difficulties/Challenges |
| Level A | This is the minimum level of accessibility that you need to meet. Level A addresses basic accessibility issues and applies to all websites as a starting point. | Level A ensures your content is accessible to users who rely on assistive technology. |
| Basic technical adjustments are required, but some accessibility barriers may still be present on your site. |
| Level AA | Level AA is the recommended standard for most websites, including public sector and commercial sites. | Level AA improves access for a wider range of users, including people with cognitive, visual, and hearing impairments. |
| Along with basic technical adjustments, level AA requires more design and development considerations. |
| Level AAA | Level AAA is the highest level of accessibility. However, it’s not always practical for all content types. It’s typically only used by government, healthcare, or specialized accessibility services. | Level AAA aims to make content usable by the widest possible audience, including those with multiple or severe disabilities. |
| Some guidelines are hard to implement universally, which can limit your design freedom |
WCAG conformance levels serve as benchmarks for how accessible a website or digital product is for users with disabilities. Each level builds on the one before it, adding layers of accessibility improvements that remove more barriers for more people.
By conforming to WCAG, you’re not just ticking a box, you’re actively designing your site to be more inclusive, functional, and user-friendly. These levels provide a roadmap for making sure your content doesn’t exclude anyone, regardless of how they interact with the web.
Deciding which WCAG level your website or digital product should meet depends on a few key factors. Here’s what to think about:
Start by outlining who uses your site. If your audience includes people with disabilities (and realistically, every audience does), accessibility should be a priority. Public sector websites, healthcare providers, and educational institutions should generally aim for Level AA to meet as many user needs as possible.
Most countries have laws or regulations that reference WCAG and generally require Level AA as a minimum for compliance. Examples include the ADA in the U.S., EAA in the EU, and the Equality Act in the UK. Failing to meet the necessary level can result in legal consequences, so check your local or industry-specific laws.
How much time and resources you have available to dedicate to web accessibility is another consideration. Level A is typically easy to implement with basic web development practices.
Level AA requires more effort, such as ensuring color contrast, resizable text, and proper navigation structure. However, these guidelines are still not overly complex to implement, which is why most websites should aim for this WCAG level.
Level AAA may need extensive custom design, development, and testing, which can be time-consuming and costly.
Source: Taras Shypka
Some Level AAA requirements may not be achievable depending on the type of content you provide. Real-time video content and complex web apps are two examples. Consider whether your content needs to meet the highest level across the board, or just in certain areas (like a government service portal or legal documentation).
Aiming for higher accessibility levels shows a strong commitment to inclusion and can enhance your brand reputation. It also improves the overall user experience, which can increase engagement, reduce bounce rates, and improve SEO.
Reaching a specific WCAG conformance level isn’t just about ticking off a checklist—it’s about verifying that real users, including those with disabilities, can successfully access and interact with your content. That’s where thorough testing comes in. Let’s look at the different options.
Source: Sigmund H
Automated accessibility testing tools like AccessibilityChecker.org are an excellent starting point. Automated tools are designed to quickly scan your website and flag common issues such as missing alt text, poor color contrast, and improper heading structure.
And even though you can do a lot with just an automated tool, web accessibility is still subjective, so some manual checks will still be necessary.
Manual testing involves reviewing keyboard navigation, verifying focus order, checking forms for proper labels, and ensuring interactive elements make sense contextually. This type of testing helps identify real-world barriers that automated tools miss.
Using tools like screen readers (e.g. NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) or voice navigation software allows you to experience your website as someone with a visual or motor disability might. This kind of testing reveals whether your content is announced correctly, if buttons are descriptive, and whether navigation is smooth without a mouse.
The most insightful feedback often comes from real users. Conducting usability testing sessions with people who rely on assistive tech or have various disabilities helps uncover obstacles that technical checks can’t always predict. It’s an invaluable step in ensuring your content truly works for everyone.
Once you’ve tested and addressed accessibility issues, it’s best practice to publish a formal accessibility statement. This document:
This transparency shows your commitment to accessibility, builds trust with users, and demonstrates legal compliance efforts in jurisdictions where accessibility is regulated.
Understanding WCAG conformance levels is key to making your website truly inclusive. While Level A addresses the basics, Level AA is the practical standard that balances accessibility with usability. Level AAA, though ideal, may not be achievable in all cases, but aiming higher wherever possible is always a step in the right direction.
Accessibility isn’t a one-time task either. It’s an ongoing commitment to making your content available to everyone, regardless of ability. By knowing what each conformance level entails, you can set realistic goals, plan your testing approach, and communicate your progress with confidence through a clear accessibility statement.
Whether you’re just starting your accessibility journey or refining an existing site, AccessibilityChecker.org offers both automated and manual testing solutions that can help. Find out more here.