WCAG Accessibility Requirements: A Guide for Project Managers

Introduction

How much of your day to day life is based on using digital tools?

95% of U.S. adults use the internet, 91% own a smartphone, and 78% subscribe to high-speed internet at home. 41% report being online “almost constantly.” Americans now average over 5 hours a day on their phones, a 14% jump from the prior year, not including time spent working or other types of screen time. (Pew Research Center, survey conducted Feb. 5 to June 18, 2025.)

Of the adult population, more than 7 million Americans are living with uncorrectable vision loss, including over 1 million who are blind. Broader survey data shows that nearly 50 million adults report some difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses.

In an increasingly digital world, digital accessibility is ever more prevalent. As we rely more on digital platforms for education, work, social interaction, and services, ensuring that these platforms are accessible to everyone has both a strategic advantage and direct implications when managing projects.

As a Project Manager (PM), there are specific considerations to keep in mind when working on projects with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG opens a new window ).

What are Digital Accessibility Requirements?

The industry standard guidelines for web content accessibility are organized around four principles, known as POUR:

Perceivable: Users must be able to see or hear the content (e.g., alt text for images, captions for video)
Operable: The interface must be navigable by everyone (e.g., keyboard accessibility, enough time to read content)
Understandable: Content and navigation must be predictable and clear (e.g., consistent layout, readable language)
Robust: Content must work reliably with a wide range of assistive technologies (e.g., valid HTML, proper ARIA)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the standard for inclusive design to make websites and digital content more accessible for people with disabilities.

The WCAG guidelines are widely recognized as the international standard for web accessibility, and many laws and regulations reference the WCAG as the benchmark for complying with the law.

The WCAG 2.2 guidelines require websites to include the following:

Color contrast of at least 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text (Level AA)
Descriptive alt text for all meaningful graphics and images (empty alt for decorative)
Closed captions and transcripts for video and audio content
Form labels associated with all input fields
Visible focus indicators for keyboard navigation
Full keyboard accessibility with no “keyboard traps”
Descriptive tags and labels for all navigation links and buttons

There are three levels of WCAG:

WCAG: Level A

This is the basic level of accessibility. It includes guidelines that address the most fundamental barriers for users with disabilities. Meeting Level A ensures that some basic accessibility needs are addressed.

For example: Providing alternative text for images so that screen readers can read aloud what the image is about. This helps people with visual impairments understand the content of the images.

WCAG: Level AA

This is an intermediate level of accessibility, more comprehensive than Level A. Meeting Level AA means going a step further to accommodate a broader range of disabilities. It includes all Level A requirements and additional criteria.

For example: Providing audio descriptions for videos to make them accessible to people who are blind or low vision. This ensures that everyone can understand the content of the videos, not just those who can visually perceive the video.

WCAG: Level AAA

This is the highest level of accessibility. Meeting Level AAA indicates a very high standard of inclusivity and provides the best possible experience for users with disabilities. It includes all Level A and Level AA requirements, as well as more demanding criteria.

For example: Providing text transcripts, sign language interpretation, and extended audio descriptions (which pause the video to add narration when dialogue gaps are too short) for streaming media. This helps people with different disabilities like low vision, blindness, deafness, and hard of hearing perceive content.

What are the implications for my project?

Be aware of standards and guidelines from the client and legal entities from project start

WCAG Compliance: Ensure the project complies with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
Plan in additional time for first rounds of reviews if team requires education in WCAG requirements
Be aware of and ensure compliance with local accessibility regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the European Accessibility Act

Documenting and Reporting:

Maintain thorough documentation of accessibility features throughout the project lifecycle including review times
Clearly document any identified barriers and the measures taken

Training and Awareness

Provide accessibility training for your team to ensure everyone understands best practices and their importance
Promote a culture of accessibility throughout the organization, encouraging ongoing discussion and improvement

Acceptance Criteria

Planning documentation must include experiences of real users who use screen readers or other assistive technology (AT)
Acceptance Criteria must identify risks and needs
Accessibility acceptance criteria should describe the ideal experience of the user. The criteria should not include a list of steps for addressing the barrier.
Specificity is key! Acceptance criteria should be specific to the product or feature. If there is not a clear vision, you can depend on frameworks such as WCAG

Ensure inclusive design principles are used

User-Centered Design: Incorporate feedback from users with disabilities into the design process to ensure the product meets diverse needs
Universal Design: Aim for solutions that can be used by all people, regardless of their abilities.

Testing and Validation

Implement regular accessibility audits using both automated tools and manual testing with assistive technologies. Automated tools typically catch only 30-40% of WCAG issues; manual testing with real screen readers and keyboard-only navigation is essential for true compliance.
Involve users with disabilities in testing to gain valuable insights into practical accessibility challenges

Facilitate Accessible Content Creation

Ensure all multimedia content (videos, images, infographics) includes text alternatives, such as captions and alt text
Structure content with clear headings and logical navigation to aid screen reader use
Use semantic HTML and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) landmarks to enhance the usability of web interfaces for assistive technologies
Ensure keyboard accessibility so that all functionalities can be navigated without a mouse

How to Check Your Website’s Accessibility

Free Browser Extensions (quick audits)

axe DevTools opens a new window by Deque: industry-standard automated scanner
WAVE opens a new window by WebAIM: visual overlay that highlights issues directly on the page
Lighthouse: built into Chrome DevTools under the “Accessibility” section
Accessibility Insights opens a new window by Microsoft: free, open source, includes guided assessments for WCAG 2.1 AA

For CI/CD Pipelines (automated testing in your build)

Pa11y opens a new window : command-line accessibility testing that integrates with CI
axe-core opens a new window : the engine behind axe DevTools, usable in Jest, Cypress, and Playwright

Claude Code Skills for Accessibility (open source)

If your team uses Claude Code opens a new window , several community-built skills can automate accessibility reviews as part of the development workflow:

skill-a11y-audit opens a new window : drop-in WCAG 2.1 AA scanner with remediation hints
accessibility-agents opens a new window : eleven specialized agents that enforce WCAG 2.2 AA compliance so AI-generated code isn’t inaccessible by default

These skills catch issues early, before code review, and are especially valuable when AI tooling is generating markup that might otherwise skip accessibility best practices.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does WCAG stand for?

WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It’s the international standard for making digital content accessible to people with disabilities, published by the W3C.

What’s the difference between WCAG Level A, AA, and AAA?

Level A: Basic accessibility — the minimum required to remove major barriers
Level AA: The standard most laws require (including ADA, EAA, and Section 508). This is the typical compliance target for commercial websites.
Level AAA: The highest level. Often impractical to achieve across an entire site, but important for specialized content.

Should I target WCAG 2.1 or 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 is the current standard (published October 2023) and is backwards-compatible with 2.1. It adds nine new success criteria. Targeting WCAG 2.2 AA is the safest choice for new projects.

How much of accessibility testing can be automated?

Automated tools catch only 30-40% of WCAG issues. Manual testing with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation is essential for true compliance.

What are the core principles of WCAG?

WCAG is organized around four principles known as POUR: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. Every success criterion maps to one of these principles.

Why does Digital Accessibility matter?

When websites are more accessible, it removes the barriers users face when navigating content. Content that adheres to WCAG principles and acceptance criteria results in well structured and streamlined websites that more people are able to use.

This means that there will be an improved user experience, more traffic, less churn and a lower bounce rate. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are the basis for nearly all digital accessibility regulations worldwide.

Organizations that fail to comply with digital accessibility laws expose themselves to significant liabilities, including fines and civil lawsuits.

While it may seem intimidating at first, planning for projects with digital accessibility requirements is important as it ensures inclusion for more people, optimizes website functionality, and ensures compliance with federal and international regulations.