WCAG 3: A New Era in Digital Accessibility
Introduction: The Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AG) has published an updated Working Draft of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3. The document sets new directions in the approach to digital accessibility...
Introduction
The Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AG) has published an updated Working Draft of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3. The document sets new directions in the approach to digital accessibility and gives the community an opportunity to submit feedback that will shape the final standard. The December 2024 update introduces three new guidelines intended to help explore the structure of WCAG 3:
- guidelines on image alternatives,
- guidelines on keyboard focus visibility,
- guidelines on clear meaning.
These guidelines are still under development and require further work. AG encourages feedback on how they are organised and on the labels used (guidelines, foundational requirements, supplemental requirements, assertions).
The structure of WCAG 3
The new structure of WCAG 3 is based on guidelines divided into requirements and assertions, and in future it may also include recommendations.
- Guidelines: written as user-oriented outcome statements, intended to make the purpose of each guideline easier to understand.
- Requirements: the equivalent of the success criteria in WCAG 2, divided into:
- Foundational requirements: essential for supporting people with disabilities. They cover general needs, similar to levels A and AA in WCAG 2.2.
- Supplemental requirements: these address specific situations, e.g. enhanced colour contrast.
- Assertions: these allow authors to state processes that improve accessibility, such as assistive technology testing or plain language.
Discussions on adding recommendations as best practices are ongoing.
WCAG 3 and conformance
The basic level of conformance will require meeting all foundational requirements. Higher levels will be based on supplemental requirements and assertions. AG is exploring various approaches, including a points-based system, percentages or predefined conformance modules, with the aim of better suiting different types of content.
Supporting accessibility
WCAG 3 places greater emphasis on the role of technologies that support accessibility. The guidelines will provide lists of criteria that new technologies can meet to support the needs of users with disabilities, allowing authors to focus on maintaining that conformance.
Next steps
Work on WCAG 3 will continue in 2025, focusing on refining the structure and developing the content. The Working Group encourages collaboration, feedback and participation in shaping the future of digital accessibility.
We encourage you to read the full WCAG 3 draft on the W3C website and submit comments via GitHub or e-mail. WCAG 3 is an opportunity for a more inclusive internet for everyone.
