Perceivable
Content must be perceivable through more than one sense—not just visually, but also through hearing or touch. Examples: alt text for images, subtitles for videos, and sufficient color contrast.
Current: WCAG 2.2 · W3C standard since October 2023
Making a website WCAG-compliant – understanding, implementing, and verifying the standard.
WCAG standards form the technical benchmark for the BFSG and EAA—now it is time for implementation. Here is how to make your website WCAG-compliant: honestly assess the current status, fix issues in the source code, and stay the course. The WCAG guide provides a clear explanation of the WCAG themselves—covering principles, levels, and versions.
What are the WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standard for accessible websites, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). They are structured in three levels: four principles (POUR), followed by guidelines, and finally testable success criteria. Importantly, the BFSG and EAA do not define their own technical standards; instead, they reference the WCAG via the EN 301 549 standard. Meeting the WCAG requirements means satisfying the technical core of both laws.
The Foundation
The four principles: POUR
Each WCAG criterion belongs to one of four principles. They describe what makes a website usable for everyone.
Operable
All functions must be operable—including without a mouse, with sufficient time, and without triggering flashing effects. Examples: full keyboard operability, visible focus, and sufficiently large click targets.
Understandable
Text must be readable and operation predictable—and errors must be clearly explained rather than merely displayed. Examples: labeled form fields, consistent navigation, and understandable error messages.
Robust (Robust)
Content must function reliably across various technologies—especially with assistive technologies such as screen readers. Example: valid, semantic HTML and correct ARIA markup.
A, AA, AAA – which level counts?
Each success criterion is assigned to one of three levels. For most legal requirements—including those under EN 301 549, the BFSG, and the EAA—Level AA is the benchmark.
Levels of conformity
A
Minimum standard – basic accessibility; without this level, a site is practically unusable for many people.
AA
The legal target level (start here) – encompasses A and AA; most laws and standards refer to this level.
AAA
Highest level – advanced requirements; not attainable for all content and rarely mandatory across the board.
Good to know: WCAG itself is not a law but a technical standard—however, laws such as the BFSG reference it. Meeting WCAG AA means fulfilling the technical core of the legal requirements.
Current version
What is new in WCAG 2.2?
On October 5, 2023, WCAG 2.2 was published as a W3C standard—building upon version 2.1 and fully backward-compatible. Six of the new criteria apply to conformance level AA. Here they are, explained in plain language:
Help at the same locationA
Recurring help and contact elements appear in the same location on all pages. (3.2.6 Consistent Help)
No duplicate entryA
Information that has already been entered is not requested again but is pre-filled or available for selection. (3.3.7 Redundant Entry)
Focus remains visibleAA
Keyboard focus must not be obscured by other elements such as sticky headers or cookie banners. (2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured)
Alternatives to pullingAA
Anything that can be done via a dragging movement must also work with a simple click. (2.5.7 Dragging Movements)
Larger click targetsAA
Interactive targets are at least 24 × 24 CSS pixels in size – or have sufficient spacing between them. (2.5.8 Target Size)
Accessible loginAA
Login processes must not rely on cognitive tests (such as CAPTCHA puzzles) as the only authentication method. (3.3.8 Accessible Authentication)
Three additional criteria apply to Level AAA (stricter focus visibility and presentation, as well as enhanced authentication). In addition, the old criterion 4.1.1 “Parsing” has been removed—modern browsers and assistive technologies handle this automatically nowadays.
In practice
The most common WCAG violations.
Most barriers don't arise from exotic edge cases, but from the same recurring issues. The Welcoma scanner finds exactly those—and points you to the specific part of the code.
Missing alt textPerceptible
Images without a text alternative are invisible to screen readers.
Insufficient contrastPerceptible
Text with a contrast ratio of less than 4.5:1 is barely readable for many people.
No keyboard operationOperable
Functions that can only be used with a mouse exclude keyboard users.
Invisible focusOperable
Anyone navigating via keyboard cannot see where they currently are.
Missing form labelsUnderstandable
Input fields without labels cannot be clearly identified.
Broken heading structureRobust
Stepping or missing H-planes destroy the orientation.
Let’s be honest: A scanner doesn’t catch everything—but it does catch the most important issues.
Automated checks reliably identify violations that can be tested by machine—such as missing alt text, poor contrast, structural errors, and targets that are too small. Some criteria require a human eye (like determining whether help text is truly understandable). The Welcoma scanner handles the bulk of the work for you and clearly indicates where you need to take a closer look—instead of claiming that everything is resolved with a single click.
Here’s how to proceed
From the list to the compliant page.
WCAG becomes tangible when you work through it step by step—not when you hide it.
Scan
The scanner checks your page against WCAG success criteria and prioritizes the findings by severity.
Fix
Each finding points to the specific line of code. The control menu further lowers barriers for your visitors.
Prove
Use the statement generator to create your accessibility statement – including a feedback mechanism.
Further reading More on this topic
WCAG explained in simple terms
The guide: the four principles (POUR), conformance levels A/AA/AAA, versions, and the relationship with the BFSG and EN 301 549.
Contrast Checker
Check colors against WCAG thresholds – with color suggestions.
BFSG & EAA
The laws that refer to the WCAG via EN 301 549.
BFSG-Check
Are you affected? Three questions, an initial assessment.
FAQ
WCAG — frequently asked questions
What does WCAG stand for?
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines — the international W3C standard for accessible web content.
What’s the difference between Level A, AA and AAA?
A is the minimum, AA is the practical and legal benchmark (for the EAA), and AAA is the highest level, which can’t be met everywhere.
Which WCAG version is current?
WCAG 2.2 (since October 2023). WCAG 2.1 is still widely referenced in law; WCAG 3.0 is in development but not yet a standard.
Which WCAG level does the EAA require?
The benchmark comes from EN 301 549 — currently WCAG 2.1 Level AA, with an upcoming move to WCAG 2.2.
Is an accessibility widget enough for WCAG conformance?
No. It improves usability, but conformance requires fixing the underlying issues in the code.
What are the four WCAG principles?
Perceivable, operable, understandable and robust („POUR”).
Free check
How accessible is your site?
Enter your URL and get an honest overview of your accessibility — free and with no obligation.