Website accessibility in plain terms: what WCAG 2.1 AA asks for

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the body that develops standards for the web. Version 2.1, level AA, is the level that most accessibility laws and public procurement rules refer to. It describes what a website needs so that people with disabilities, including people who are blind, have low vision, are deaf or cannot use a mouse, can use it.

What it asks for, in practice

• Text that can be read. Enough contrast between text and its background (at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text), text that can be enlarged without breaking the page, and a layout that works on a narrow phone screen.
• Everything works from a keyboard. Menus, buttons and forms can be reached with the Tab key, and you can always see which element is in focus.
• Images are described. Meaningful images have a text alternative that a screen reader can read aloud; decorative ones are marked so they are skipped.
• Forms explain themselves. Every field has a visible label, required fields are marked, and errors say what went wrong and how to fix it.
• Structure is real. Headings are used in order, the page language is declared, and links say where they go.
• Nothing moves without control. Animations respect the system setting for reduced motion, and anything that moves for more than five seconds can be paused.

Why it matters for a business

An accessible site is easier for everyone to use, including people on a small screen, in bright sunlight or with a slow connection. It is also increasingly a legal requirement. In the European Union, the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) has applied since 28 June 2025 to a range of services sold to consumers, including e-commerce, banking services and e-books. Microenterprises that provide services, meaning fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet of no more than 2 million euros, are exempt from its service requirements, but customers and partners increasingly expect accessibility regardless.

How to check a site

Automated tools can find many problems, such as low contrast, missing labels or images without descriptions, and they are a good first step. They cannot judge everything: whether a description is actually useful, or whether a page makes sense when read aloud, still needs a person to test it with a keyboard and a screen reader.

Every site we build is designed and tested to WCAG 2.1 level AA. See Web Development, or contact us about your site.