Close
Close
Search this website

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are internationally recognized technical standards developed to make web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities.

WCAG is developed and maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the global body responsible for web standards. Under current federal guidance, public institutions of higher education are expected to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards for digital accessibility by April 24, 2026. 

WCAG is organized around four core principles: content must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). These principles are supported by specific guidelines and testable success criteria at three levels: A, AA, and AAA. Level AA is the standard most universities are required to meet.

Adhering to WCAG 2.1 Level AA helps ensure accessibility for individuals who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have limited mobility, speech disabilities, photosensitivity, cognitive disabilities, or learning differences.

Maintaining alignment with WCAG 2.1 Level AA supports FIU’s commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and compliance with applicable federal and state laws. It ensures that students, faculty, staff, and visitors can fully access and engage with university digital content.

Outlined below are the key components of WCAG 2.1 Level AA, providing guidance on identifying and addressing accessibility requirements across digital platforms.

WCAG 2.1 Web Accessibility Checklist 

Perceivable 

WCAG 2.1 Standard: “Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.” 

  • Text alternatives
    • Users can access a text alternative that serves an equivalent purpose for all non-text content (e.g. images, video) 
    • Closed Captions or Subtitles are included for all video and audio content  
    • A thorough audio description is included for all audio elements, including information about speakers and background noise, where relevant 
    • If non-text content is primarily intended to create a specific sensory experience, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content
    • CAPTCHA: If the purpose of non-text content is to confirm that content is being accessed by a person rather than a computer, then text alternatives that identify and describe the purpose of the non-text content are provided, and alternative forms of CAPTCHA using output modes for different types of sensory perception are provided to accommodate different disabilities
  • Adaptability
    • Users can access content in a number of different ways, including the use of assistive tools like screen readers
    • Content is organized in simple formats like outlines or structured walkthroughs 
    • Content structure and organization can be programmatically determined–that is, interpreted from markup language or API choice via assistive technology 
    • Understanding and operating content does not rely on solely on sensory characteristics such as shape, size, visual location, orientation or sound 
  • Distinguishable

    • Users can identify which elements of a website are most pertinent for their needs

    • Site elements and sections are clearly defined, both on the front-end and in HTML tags and structure

    • Color is not the sole means used to convey meaning, structure, or purpose of content 

    • Contrast is used to clearly illustrate differences between site elements. *The minimum recommended contrast ratio for text and images is 4.5:1* 

    • Text can be resized up to 200% via browser or assistive technology without losing content functionality or context 

    • Avoid images of text unless essential

    • If any audio on a web page plays automatically, a mechanism to pause, restart, or alter content volume is provided 

Operable

WCAG 2.1 Standard: “User interface components and navigation must be operable.” 

  • Keyboard Navigable
    • Users who can’t operate a mouse are given keyboard-based navigation options 
    • Keyboard navigation options should not be time-bound for specific keystrokes 
    • Tabbing moves the cursor or site focus from section-to-section 
    • No keyboard trap (2.1.2) — users must be able to move focus away from any component using only a keyboard
    • Visible focus indicator (2.4.7 + 2.4.11 in 2.2) — focus must be clearly visible and meet minimum contrast and thickness requirements in WCAG 2.2
    • Clickable targets must be at least 24x24 CSS pixels unless an exception applies.
  • Enough Time
    • Users can access media at their own pace 
    • Ample time is provided for task completion, and where applicable, users can turn off a time limit before encountering it 
    • Pausing is enabled for timed tasks 
    • Users can alter the speed of content playback 
    • Interruptions to the content presentation are postponed or suppressed entirely 
    • Users must be able to extend or turn off time limits unless essential (2.2.1)
  • Seizures
    • Users prone to seizures should be warned of flashing site elements  
    • Web pages do not contain content that flashes more than three times per one second period 
  • Navigable
    • Web pages have titles that describe their topic or purpose  
    • More than one way is available to locate a web page, except where the page is the result of, or a step in, a process 
    • Information about a user’s location within a set of web pages is available to help them orient themselves 
    • Focus order must be logical (2.4.3)
    • Link purpose must be clear (2.4.4)
    • Focused elements must not be hidden or covered by other content (NEW in WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.12)
    • Focus indicators must be clearly visible and meet minimum contrast and size requirements
    • Dragging actions must have a single-pointer alternative

Understandable

WCAG 2.1 Standard: “Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.” 

  • Readable
    • Page language defined (3.1.1)
    • The default language of each Web page is specified within the underlying HTML header code 
    • A mechanism for identifying the expanded meaning of abbreviations is included
  • Predictable
    • Content on a page adheres to a central organization that doesn’t change when a user engages with or focuses on a particular element of the page  
    • Navigation patterns are consistent across a site 
    • Help mechanisms (such as contact information or chat support) must appear in a consistent location across pages where provided
  • Input Assistance
    • Error-correction and detection mechanisms are used to assist users entering information to forms or other input points 
    • Comprehensive, text-based help is offered for all areas of your site, particularly those where users have to enter information 
    • For web pages that cause legal commitment or financial transactions: Submissions are reversible (where possible) and given ample opportunity to be checked and reviewed by the user 
    • Redundant entry prevention (3.3.7) — users shouldn’t have to re-enter the same information
    • Accessible authentication (3.3.8) — login processes must not rely solely on memory tests

Robust

WCAG 2.1 Standard: “Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. “ 

  • Compatible 

    In content implemented using markup languages

    • Elements are nested according to their specifications
    • Elements do not contain duplicate attributes
    • any IDs are unique, except where the specifications allow these features
    • Name, role, value programmatically determinable
    • Status messages programmatically available
    • Proper use of ARIA

     

WCAG Video Checklist

  • Video player
    • Is the video player accessible (i.e. there are no keyboard traps)? 
    • Can the video player be started and operated using the keyboard? 
    • Does the video start only at the viewer's request and not automatically? 
    • If the video starts automatically, is there a mechanism to pause or stop the video at the start of the page before the video?  
    • Can the video volume be modified?  
    • Can the video volume be modified with the keyboard? 
    • If the video provides a text alternative is it labeled as such? 
    • Are links to the video files descriptive?  
    • Can you select a video without causing a change prior to the current focus?  
    • Does the video exclude flashing content that flashes more than three times per second? 
    • Is the content accessible with assistive technology?
    • Does the script expose name/role/value properly?
  • Captions

    Level A

    • Do videos include captions?
    • Do captions accurately reflect spoken dialogue and relevant sounds?
    • Captions are required for prerecorded video with audio

    Level AA

    • Is the color contrast of the video captions sufficient?
  • Transcripts
    • Do videos have transcripts?   
    • Is the video transcript link clear?  
    • Does the video transcript provide equivalent information to the video? 
    • Does the video transcript only contain information in the video (i.e. not information that is not included in the video)? 
    • Is the video transcript accessible? 
    • Is the video transcript or a link to the transcript immediately before or after the video?  
    • Is the end of transcript marked if it is on the same page as the video? 
    • Does the video transcript (when on a different page to the video) provide a method of returning back to the original video? 
    • Do interactive transcripts keep track with the video content? 
    • Can the current position in the interactive transcript be determined without relying on color (i.e. isn’t marked with color alone)? 
    • Transcripts are required for audio-only content
    • Transcripts for video are strongly recommended but not strictly required if captions + audio description are present
  • Audio Descriptions
    • Do videos have audio descriptions?