How we want to make WCAG 3 better

How we want to make WCAG better Hidde de Vries #ID24 24⦁09⦁2026

(here in personal capacity)

WCAG Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

EN 301 549 T “Accessibility requirements for IC products and services”

hf.etsi.org/eu-accessibility-standard-adoption-map

Ag

WCAG 2 → 3

w3.org/TR/wcag3

Note: WCAG 3 is not almost here, it is still in active development and not ready for use. Feedback on the direction is welcomed!

Let’s start w th i WCAG 2

4 i i Pr nc ples ( )

Pr nc ples ( ) Understandable Operable Robust 4 i v i Percei

Pr nc ples ( ) 4 i i i i Gu del nes (13)

Pr nc ples ( ) Gu del nes (13) i 4 i i i i i Success Cr ter a (55)

Example Pr 1.1.1 Non-text Content Gu i i i i Success Cr ter a (55)

OK, r ght… i What’s the issue with 2?

WCAG 2 s… v y i Not equall representati e of all different disabilities

WCAG 2 s… w v w i Difficult to gear to ards ne technological inno ation

WCAG 2 s… x v i Non-tri ial to e pand

WCAG 2 doesn’t really… w v Address authoring tools, bro sers and assisti e technologies

WCAG 2 lacks… v y v A er effecti e user manual

y (and there ha e been man great attempts at addressing parts of the problem) v T his is nobody’s fault, given context and constraints

What’s next How will WCAG 3 improve things?

What’s next How will WCAG 3 improve things? Note: it is a draft, not final, not set in stone

What’s next How will WCAG 3 improve things? , e s u o t y d a “Not re r u o y r o f y d a but re comments” y r e m o g t n o M y le d a r B l — Rachae ) p u o r G g in k r o W G A ir (co-cha

i i i i i Cover ng more d sab l t es

i i i i i i i i i d sab l t es Cover ng more d sab l t es user needs

WCAG is about ensuring all people can use web content.

Web content should work… …without sight … without or with limited speech …with limited sight …with limited reach …without colour perception …with limited cognition …without hearing …with limited language ability …with limited hearing

D g tal Access b l ty Framework Support needed Indi i i i i v i accessiblecommunity.org/daf/framework Characteristics of content

i Innovat on

WCAG 3 is more technology agnostic, which makes it more compatible with emerging tech

Agnost c w i Not eb-specific

Agnost c w i i Not eb-specific “web page” “v ew”

W v k v v i i Content on des tops, laptops, tablets, mobile de ices, earable de ices, eb of hings de ices. i w T Access b l ty of

i Integrat on

b r o w s e r ? ? T A s ? e d S CM Less focus on where the i accessibility comes from

Now (WCAG 2) Instructions: do this

Future (WCAG 3) Outcome: this should be the case

Updated content structure

Content is organised differently, no Principles or Success Criteria

Placeholder Exploratory Developing Refining Mature

Now (WCAG 2) Principles > Guidelines > Success Criteria

Future (WCAG 3) v Guidelines > Pro isions

Future (WCAG 3) v Guidelines > Pro isions Core Requirements Supplemental Requirements Assertions

Future (WCAG 3) Guidelines Outcome statements centered around documented user needs

T Future (WCAG 3) Requirements

Requirements Type of requ rement (“Core” or “Supplemental”) i T Future (WCAG 3)

Requirements Type of requ rement (“Core” or “Supplemental”) i T Future (WCAG 3) content status

Requirements content status Type of requ rement (“Core” or “Supplemental”) i related ssues i T Future (WCAG 3)

Requirements appl es/ except when i T Future (WCAG 3)

More provisions (not necessarily more work to do for teams)

Future (WCAG 3) Assertions Formal claim of fact. Attributed to a person or organisation. Can support a Guideline, cover things that are harder to test.

Future (WCAG 3) Assertions - what are you asserting? - date of assertion - timeframe

scope - contact info - related Guideline

Conformance

i Not to be confused w th…

Not to be confused w th… i Compliance

Conformance answers what it means to “meet WCAG”

Conformance is whether something satisfies the requirements listed in the guidelines

Rule Ruler

Rule Ruler Designed by a government Designed by team WCAG

The WCAG 2 model Level A Level AA Level AAA

The WCAG 2 model The WCAG 3 model Level A single level Level AA Level AAA (for now)

The WCAG 3 model (in progress) i requ red for conformance Core requirements

The WCAG 3 model (in progress) requ red for conformance Core requirements Supplemental requirements not requ red for conformance Assertions i i Recommended practices

Levels still exist, but they moved from conformance to reporting

Access b l ty supported i i i T For content to be actually accessible, it must meet the requirements in a way that is supported by UAs and A s of real users.

Access b l ty supported i i i What real users use can differ by language, region, workplace, device.

Access b l ty supported Different “Accessibility support sets” can exist. i i i WCAG 3 will have a default one, others could be defined by people, organizations, regulators.

Wrapping up

WCAG may get better!

WCAG may get more future proof

WCAG may get a better structure, for easier updates and usability

WCAG may cover a wider range of user needs

WCAG may cover a wider range of recommendations

Slides/links on hidde.blog/slides Thank you! Fonts: Bild and Bungee by David Jonathan Ross