This document lists all of the requirements (called "success criteria") from the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Working Draft. It also lists techniques to meet the requirements, which link to more details. The "Understanding" links go to descriptions, examples, and resources.
You can customize the list by selecting the technologies that apply to your Web project, and the levels and techniques that you want included in the list.
See the Overview of WCAG 2.0 Documents for an introduction to WCAG 2.0 and supporting documents, including more information about this document.
Note that all techniques are informative - you don't have to follow them. The "sufficient techniques" listed below are considered sufficient to meet the success criteria; however, it is not necessary to use these particular techniques. Anyone can submit new techniques at any time. If techniques are used other than those listed by the Working Group, then some other method for establishing the technique's ability to meet the success criteria would be needed.
In addition to the 'sufficient techniques', there are also advisory techniques that go beyond WCAG 2.0's requirements. Authors are encouraged to apply all techniques that they are able to, including the advisory techniques, in order to best address the needs of the widest possible range of users.
Note that even content that conforms at the highest level (AAA) will not be accessible to individuals with all types, degrees, or combinations of disability, particularly in the cognitive language and learning areas. Authors are encouraged to seek relevant advice about current best practice to ensure that Web content is accessible, as far as possible, to this community.
See also Sufficient and Advisory Techniques.
This Quick Reference is currently customized to include:
Guideline 1.1 Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler languageUnderstanding Guideline 1.1
Providing sign language videos for audio-only files (future link)
1.1.1 All non-text content that is presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose, except for the situations listed below. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.1.1
Controls, Input: If non-text content is a control or accepts user input, then it has a name that describes its purpose. (Refer to Guideline 4.1 for additional requirements for controls and content that accepts user input.)
Time-Based Media: If non-text content is time-based media, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content. (Refer to Guideline 1.2 for additional requirements for media.)
Test: If non-text content is a test or exercise that must be presented in non-text format, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content.
Sensory: If non-text content is primarily intended to create a specific sensory experience, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content.
CAPTCHA: If the purpose non-text content is to confirm that content is being accessed by a person rather than a computer, then text alternatives that identify and describe the purpose of the non-text content are provided, and alternative forms of CAPTCHA using output modes for different types of sensory perception are provided to accommodate different disabilities.
Decoration, Formatting, Invisible: If non-text content is pure decoration, is used only for visual formatting, or is not presented to users, then it is implemented in a way that it can be ignored by assistive technology.
G94: Providing short text alternative for non-text content that serves the same purpose and presents the same information as the non-text content using a short text alternative technique listed below
G95: Providing short text alternatives that provide a brief description of the non-text content using a short text alternative technique listed below AND one of the following techniques for long description:
G92: Providing long description for non-text content that serves the same purpose and presents the same information using a long text alternative technique listed below
G82: Providing a text alternative that identifies the purpose of the non-text content using a short text alternative technique listed below
H44: Using label elements to associate text labels with form controls (HTML)
H65: Using the title attribute to identify form controls when the label element cannot be used (HTML)
Providing a descriptive label using a short text alternative technique listed below
G68: Providing a descriptive label that describes the purpose of live audio-only and live video-only content using a short text alternative technique listed below
G100: Providing the accepted name or a descriptive name of the non-text content using a short text alternative technique listed below
G143: Providing a text alternative that describes the purpose of the CAPTCHA AND G144: Ensuring that the Web Page contains another CAPTCHA serving the same purpose using a different modality
Implementing or marking the non-text content so that it will be ignored by assistive technology using one of the technology-specific techniques listed below
H36: Using alt attributes on images used as submit buttons (HTML)
H2: Combining adjacent image and text links for the same resource (HTML)
H24: Providing text alternatives for the area elements of image maps (HTML)
H86: Providing text alternatives for ASCII art, emoticons, and leetspeak (HTML)
H30: Providing link text that describes the purpose of a link for anchor elements (HTML)
H45: Using longdesc (HTML)
Identifying informative non-text content (future link)
Keeping short descriptions short (future link)
Describing images that include text (future link)
Providing a longer description of the non-text content where only a descriptive label is required using a technology-specific technique (for an accessibility-supported content technology) for long description listed above (future link)
Providing different sizes for non-text content when it cannot have an equivalent accessible alternative (future link)
Using server-side scripts to resize images of text (future link)
Linking to textual information that provides comparable information (e.g. for a traffic Webcam, a municipality could provide a link to the text traffic report.) (future link)
Providing more than two modalities of CAPTCHAs (future link)
Providing access to a human customer service representative who can bypass CAPTCHA (future link)
Not requiring CAPTCHAs for authorized users (future link)
Writing for browsers that do not support frame (future link)
Providing alternative content for iframe (future link)
H27: Providing text and non-text alternatives for object (HTML)
Not using long descriptions for iframe (future link)
Providing redundant text links for client-side image maps (future link)
C18: Using CSS margin and padding rules instead of spacer images for layout design (CSS)
Using CSS background, :before or :after rules for decorative images instead of img elements (future link)
Displaying empty table cells (future link)
Using the ARIA presentation role to indicate elements are purely presentational (future link)
Using metadata to associate text transcriptions with a video (future link)
Using metadata to associate text transcriptions with audio-only content (future link)
EXAMPLE: Providing, in metadata, URL(s) that points to an audio description and a text transcript of a video.
EXAMPLE: Providing, in metadata, URL(s) that point to several text transcripts (English, French, Dutch) of an audio file.
Guideline 1.2 Provide alternatives for time-based mediaUnderstanding Guideline 1.2
1.2.1 For prerecorded audio-only and prerecorded video-only media, the following are true, except when the audio or video is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such: (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.1
Prerecorded Audio-only: An alternative for time-based media is provided that presents equivalent information for prerecorded audio-only content.
Prerecorded Video-only: Either an alternative for time-based media or an audio track is provided that presents equivalent information for prerecorded video-only content.
Providing a transcript of a live audio only presentation after the fact (future link)
Linking to textual information that provides comparable information (e.g. for a traffic Webcam, a municipality could provide a link to the text traffic report.) (future link)
1.2.2 Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.2
G87: Providing closed captions using any readily available media format that has a video player that supports closed captioning
G87: Providing closed captions using any of the technology-specific techniques below
Providing a note saying "No sound is used in this clip" for video-only clips (future link)
Using SMIL 1.0 to provide captions for all languages for which there are audio tracks (future link)
Using SMIL 2.0 to provide captions for all languages for which there are audio tracks (future link)
1.2.3 An alternative for time-based media or audio description of the prerecorded video content is provided for synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.3
G69: Providing a full synchronized media text alternative including any interaction
G78: Providing a second, user-selectable, audio track that includes audio descriptions
G173: Providing a version of a movie with audio descriptions using one of the following:
Using any player that supports audio and video
G8: Providing a movie with extended audio descriptions using one of the following:
Using any player that supports audio and video
Providing audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 1.0 (future link)
Providing audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 2.0 (future link)
1.2.4 Captions are provided for all live audio content in synchronized media. (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.4
G9: Creating captions for live synchronized media AND G93: Providing open (always visible) captions
G9: Creating captions for live synchronized media AND G87: Providing closed captions using any readily available media format that has a video player that supports closed captioning
G9: Creating captions for live synchronized media AND G87: Providing closed captions using one of the following techniques:
Note: Captions may be generated using real-time text translation service.
1.2.5 Audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media. (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.5
G78: Providing a second, user-selectable, audio track that includes audio descriptions
G173: Providing a version of a movie with audio descriptions using one of the following:
Using any player that supports audio and video
G8: Providing a movie with extended audio descriptions using one of the following:
Using any player that supports audio and video
Providing audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 1.0 (future link)
Providing audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 2.0 (future link)
Providing audio description for live synchronized media (future link)
1.2.6 Sign language interpretation is provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.6
G54: Including a sign language interpreter in the video stream
Providing a new page that has the video with the sign language interpretation of the audio track (future link)
G81: Providing a synchronized video of the sign language interpreter that can be displayed in a different viewport or overlaid on the image by the player using one of the following techniques
Using metadata to associate sign language alternatives of a video to enable choice of sign language (future link)
EXAMPLE: Providing, in metadata, URL(s) that point to several English sign language translations (ASL, SASL, BSL, Auslan, ISL, NZSL) of a Web page.
1.2.7 Where pauses in foreground audio are insufficient to allow audio descriptions to convey the sense of the video, extended audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.7
G8: Providing a movie with extended audio descriptions using one of the following:
Using any player that supports audio and video
Adding extended audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 1.0 (future link)
Adding extended audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 2.0 (future link)
1.2.8 An alternative for time-based media is provided for all prerecorded synchronized media and a text alternative that presents equivalent information is provided for all prerecorded video-only media. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.8
G69: Providing a full synchronized media text alternative including any interaction using one of the following techniques
Linking to the full text alternative for synchronized media including any interaction using one of the following techniques
Providing a corrected script (future link)
Adding detail to audio description (future link)
1.2.9 A text alternative that presents equivalent information for live audio-only content is provided. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.9
Using metadata to associate text transcriptions with audio-only content (future link)
Example: Providing, in metadata, URL(s) that point to several text transcripts (English, French, Dutch) of an audio file.
Guideline 1.3 Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout ) without losing information or structureUnderstanding Guideline 1.3
1.3.1 Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.1
G115: Using semantic elements to mark up structure AND H49: Using semantic markup to mark emphasized or special text (HTML)
G117: Using text to convey information that is conveyed by variations in presentation of text
G140: Separating information and structure from presentation to enable different presentations
Making information and relationships conveyed through presentation programmatically determinable using the following techniques:
H51: Using table markup to present tabular information (HTML)
H39: Using caption elements to associate data table captions with data tables (HTML)
H73: Using the summary attribute of the table element to give an overview of data tables (HTML)
H63: Using the scope attribute to associate header cells and data cells in data tables (HTML)
H43: Using id and headers attributes to associate data cells with header cells in data tables (HTML)
H44: Using label elements to associate text labels with form controls (HTML)
H65: Using the title attribute to identify form controls when the label element cannot be used (HTML)
H71: Providing a description for groups of form controls using fieldset and legend elements (HTML)
H85: Using OPTGROUP to group OPTION elements inside a SELECT (HTML)
SCR21: Using functions of the Document Object Model (DOM) to add content to a page (Scripting)
G117: Using text to convey information that is conveyed by variations in presentation of text
Making information and relationships conveyed through presentation programmatically determinable or available in text using the following techniques:
Using CSS rather than tables for page layout (future link)
G162: Positioning labels to maximize predictability of relationships
Providing labels for all form controls that do not have implicit labels (future link)
1.3.2 When the sequence in which content is presented affects its meaning, a correct reading sequence can be programmatically determined. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.2
G57: Ordering the content in a meaningful sequence for all the content in the Web page
Marking sequences in the content as meaningful using one of the following techniques AND G57: Ordering the content in a meaningful sequence for those sequences
Using left-justified text for languages that are written left to right and right-justified text for languages that are written right-to-left (future link)
Using appropriate justification for languages that are written right-to-left (future link)
Providing a link to linearized rendering (future link)
Providing a style switcher between style sheets that affect presentation order (future link)
1.3.3 Instructions provided for understanding and operating content do not rely solely on sensory characteristics of components such as shape, size, visual location, orientation, or sound. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.3
Note: For requirements related to color, refer to Guideline 1.4.
Using an image with a text alternative for graphical symbols instead of a Unicode font glyph with the desired graphical appearance but different meaning (future link)
Guideline 1.4 Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background Understanding Guideline 1.4
Using readable fonts (future link)
Making sure any text in images of text is at least 14 points and has good contrast (future link)
Providing a highly visible highlighting mechanism for links or controls when they receive keyboard focus (future link)
1.4.1 Color is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.1
Note: This success criterion addresses color perception specifically. Other forms of perception are covered in Guideline 1.3 including programmatic access to color and other visual presentation coding.
Conveying information redundantly using color (future link)
C15: Using CSS to change the presentation of a user interface component when it receives focus (CSS)
1.4.2 If any audio on a Web page plays automatically for more than 3 seconds, either a mechanism is available to pause or stop the audio, or a mechanism is available to control audio volume independently from the overall system volume level. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.2
Note: Since any content that does not meet this success criterion can interfere with a user's ability to use the whole page, all content on the Web page (whether or not it is used to meet other success criteria) must meet this success criterion. See Conformance Requirement 5: Non-Interference.
Providing a sitewide preference to turn off audio in addition to providing a control near the top of the Web page that turns off sounds that play automatically (future link)
1.4.3 The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 5:1, except for the following: (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3
Large Text: Large-scale text and images of large-scale text have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1;
Incidental: Text or images of text that are part of an inactive user interface component, that are pure decoration, that are not visible to anyone, or that are part of a picture that contains significant other visual content, have no contrast requirement.
Logotypes: Text that is part of a logo or brand name has no minimum contrast requirement.
Using a higher contrast value for text that is over a patterned background (future link)
Using a light pastel background rather than a white background behind black text (future link)
Using Unicode text and style sheets instead of images of text (future link)
Using a higher contrast values for lines in diagrams (future link)
Using greater contrast level for red-black text/background combinations
Using colors that are composed predominantly of mid spectral components for the light and spectral extremes (blue and red wavelengths) for the dark
Using a light pastel background rather than a white background behind black text to create sufficient but not extreme contrast (future link)
Making icons using simple line drawings that meet the contrast provisions for text (future link)
Providing sufficient color contrast in graphs and charts (future link)
Using a 3:1 contrast ratio or higher as the default presentation (future link)
Providing sufficient color contrast for empty text fields (future link)
1.4.4 Text (but not images of text) can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality. (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.4
G142: Using a technology that has commonly-available user agents that support zoom
Ensuring that text containers resize when the text resizes AND using measurements that are relative to other measurements in the content by using one or more of the following techniques:
C28: Specifying the size of text containers using em units (CSS)
Techniques for relative measurements
Techniques for text container resizing
Providing large fonts by default (future link)
Using page-percent for container sizes (future link)
Avoiding scaling font sizes smaller than the user-agent default (future link)
Note: The author won't actually know the font size, but should avoid percentage scaling that results in less than 100%
Avoiding justified text (future link)
Providing sufficient inter-line and inter-column spacing (future link)
Providing different sizes for non-text content when it cannot have an equivalent accessible alternative (future link)
Avoiding the use of text in raster images (future link)
Using server-side scripts to resize images of text (future link)
Ensuring that text in raster images is at least 18pt (future link)
Scaling text down to 50% (future link)
1.4.5 If the technologies being used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey information rather than images of text except for the following: (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.5
Customizable: The image of text can be visually customized to the user's requirements;
Essential: A particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed.
Note: Logotypes (text that is part of a logo or brand name) are considered essential.
Identifying informative non-text content (future link)
C8: Using CSS letter-spacing to control spacing within a word (CSS)
Avoid applying text styling to text characters within a word (future link)
1.4.6 The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 7:1, except for the following: (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.6
Large Text: Large-scale text and images of large-scale text have a contrast ratio of at least 5:1;
Incidental: Text or images of text that are part of an inactive user interface component, that are pure decoration, that are not visible to anyone, or that are part of a picture that contains significant other visual content, have no contrast requirement.
Logotypes: Text that is part of a logo or brand name has no minimum contrast requirement.
Using a higher contrast value for text that is over a patterned background (future link)
Using Unicode text and style sheets instead of images of text (future link)
Using a light pastel background rather than a white background behind black text (future link)
Using a higher contrast values for lines in diagrams (future link)
Using greater contrast level for red-black text/background combinations
Using colors that are composed predominantly of mid spectral components for the light and spectral extremes (blue and red wavelengths) for the dark
Using a light pastel background rather than a white background behind black text to create sufficient but not extreme contrast (future link)
Making icons using simple line drawings that meet the contrast provisions for text (future link)
Providing sufficient color contrast in graphs and charts (future link)
Using a 3:1 contrast ratio or higher as the default presentation (future link)
Providing sufficient color contrast for empty text fields (future link)
1.4.7 For audio content that (1) is not an audio CAPTCHA and (2) contains speech in the foreground, at least one of the following is true: (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.7
No Background: The audio does not contain background sounds.
Turn Off: The background sounds can be turned off.
20 dB: The background sounds are at least 20 decibels lower than the foreground speech content, with the exception of occasional sound effects.
Note: Per the definition of "decibel," background sound that meets this requirement will be approximately four times quieter than the foreground speech content.
Providing a way for users to adjust auditory levels of foreground and background sound independently (future link)
1.4.8 For the visual presentation of blocks of text, a mechanism is available to achieve the following: (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.8
foreground and background colors can be selected by the user
width is no more than 80 characters or glyphs (40 if CJK)
text is not justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins)
line spacing (leading) is at least space-and-a-half within paragraphs, and paragraph spacing is at least 1.5 times larger than the line spacing
text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent in a way that does not require the user to scroll horizontally to read a line of text on a full-screen window
Instructions: Since this is a multi-part success criterion, you must satisfy one of the numbered items for each of the requirements below.
H87: Not interfering with the user agent's reflow of text as the viewing window is narrowed (HTML) OR
C19: Specifying alignment either to the left OR right in CSS (CSS) OR
G172: Providing a mechanism to remove full justification of text OR
Not interfering with the user agent's reflow of text as the viewing window is narrowed (General, Future Link) OR
G146: Using liquid layout AND using measurements that are relative to other measurements in the content by using one or more of the following techniques:
Using a hover effect to highlight a paragraph, list items, or table cells (HTML, CSS) (future link)
Presenting text in sans serif font or providing a mechanism to achieve this (CSS) (future link)
Using vertical (bulleted or numbered) lists rather than inline lists (future link)
Using upper and lower case according to the spelling conventions of the text language (future link)
Providing large fonts by default (future link)
Avoiding the use of text in raster images (future link)
Avoiding scaling font sizes smaller than the user-agent default (future link)
Providing sufficient inter-column spacing (future link)
Avoiding centrally aligned text (future link)
Avoiding chunks of italic text (future link)
Avoiding overuse of different styles on individual pages and in sites (future link)
Making links visually distinct (future link)
Providing expandable bullets (future link)
Show/hide bullet points (future link)
Putting an em-space or two spaces after sentences (future link)
1.4.9 Images of text are only used for pure decoration or where a particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.9
Note: Logotypes (text that is part of a logo or brand name) are considered essential.
Using server-side scripts to resize images of text (future link)
C8: Using CSS letter-spacing to control spacing within a word (CSS)
Avoid applying text styling to text characters within a word (future link)
Guideline 2.1 Make all functionality available from a keyboard Understanding Guideline 2.1
2.1.1 All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes, except where the underlying function requires input that depends on the path of the user's movement and not just the endpoints. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 2.1.1
Note 1: This exception relates to the underlying function, not the input technique. For example, if using handwriting to enter text, the input technique (handwriting) requires path dependent input but the underlying function (text input) does not.
Note 2: This does not forbid and should not discourage providing mouse input or other input methods in addition to keyboard operation.
Ensuring keyboard control by using one of the following techniques.
Using HTML form controls and links (future link)