What is WCAG? Digital accessibility in practice
You may have heard of WCAG, but do you know what it specifically means for your company?
WCAG stands for “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines”, and it has been a legal requirement for public authorities and institutions for several years. In fact, the requirements came into effect as early as 2018 for (new) public websites and apps (WCAG 2.1, level AA). In 2020, the requirement was extended to also apply to existing public websites and apps – and now the legal requirement has been extended again.
As of June 28, 2025, the legal requirements also apply to a large number of private companies. This is part of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), and this means that webshops, banks, educational platforms, etc., among others, must now also meet the requirements.
What does WCAG mean?
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is an international set of guidelines that aims to ensure that websites, apps and other digital content are accessible to everyone – including people with various disabilities. This applies, for example, to people who are blind, visually impaired, color blind, have motor or cognitive challenges, etc.
Since its first version in 1999, WCAG has continuously evolved:
- WCAG 1.0 (1999): Introduced 14 general guidelines. The focus was primarily on text-based websites.
- WCAG 2.0 (2008): Thorough update with introduction of the four basic principles: Perceived, Operable, Understandable and Robust (POUR).
- WCAG 2.1 (2018): Expansion with 17 new guidelines, including a focus on mobile users and people with cognitive challenges.
- WCAG 2.2 (oktober 2023): Added 9 more success criteria, including improved navigation, focus visibility, and better input options.
WCAG 3.0 is also being developed, which will replace the 2.x versions in the future. It will be a more flexible and comprehensive approach, but is not yet an official standard.
3 levels of accessibility
The guidelines were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and are currently used as the technical standard for accessibility throughout the EU. W3C is an international organization that sets standards for the Internet, including HTML, CSS, XML, etc.
There are three levels of accessibility in WCAG:
- Level A: The most basic level
This ensures that content is not completely excluded for users with disabilities. - Level AA: The most common requirement
The focus is on usability, contrasts, structure and functionality. This is the level that public actors and many private companies must adhere to. - Level AAA: The most advanced level
This level is typically only used by institutions with a special focus on accessibility.
As a general rule, level AA is required by law, and therefore it is also the level you should strive for as a company.
The POUR principles
WCAG is based on four fundamental principles that together ensure that digital content is accessible and usable by as many people as possible, regardless of whether they have a disability or not. The principles are abbreviated as “POUR” and stand for:
- Perceivable
Content must be understandable to all users, regardless of how they perceive the world. This means that no one should miss out on important information simply because it is presented via only one sensory channel.
In practical terms, this means that text must be readable or read aloud by a screen reader, images must have alt text so that visually impaired users can understand the content, colors must not convey information (e.g. a red error message), as colorblind people may not necessarily be able to distinguish colors, etc. - Operable
All functions and navigation elements on the website must be usable both with and without a mouse. Users must be able to access and operate your content using, for example, a keyboard, voice control or other assistive devices. This also means that there must be no time limits or movements that the user cannot control themselves. - Understandable
The content should be easy to understand, and the user experience should be consistent and intuitive. This makes it easier for everyone – especially people with cognitive challenges – to navigate and use the site. This means that navigation should follow a logical structure and be consistent across pages, and that links, buttons and fields should be clearly labeled so that the user understands what happens when they click. - Robust
The website must be built to work across technologies, both today and in the future. Therefore, the code must follow current web standards so that the content can be understood and interpreted correctly by both regular browsers and assistive devices such as screen readers. Forms and interactive elements must be correctly set up with semantic HTML tags (i.e. code that clearly indicates what each element is, e.g. heading, button or form), and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles, which make it easier for assistive devices such as screen readers to understand the purpose of the elements.
Who is required to comply with WCAG?
In Denmark, WCAG has been mandatory for public authorities and institutions since 2018. This applies to, for example, municipalities, ministries, regions, independent institutions and educational institutions that provide public services.
From 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) has come into force in Denmark and the rest of the EU. This means that private companies within a number of industries must also meet the requirements of WCAG and thus ensure accessibility on their online platforms. This applies, among other things, to:
- E-commerce (webshops, payment solutions)
- Banks and financial services
- Transportation (train, bus, travel portals)
- Education and information platforms
- Digital book services, e-readers and streaming
It is expected that these requirements will eventually spread to even more industries and types of companies, especially as digital content becomes an increasingly important part of society's infrastructure. Companies that choose to be proactive are therefore in a stronger position.
What happens if WCAG is not complied with?
Failure to comply with the requirements can lead to reprimands, injunctions, fines and ultimately the shutdown of inaccessible solutions. In addition, it can create dissatisfied users if they cannot use the website, which can result in the loss of potential customers and negative publicity.
In Denmark, the Danish Agency for Digitalisation is responsible for monitoring and supervising public websites and apps. They conduct regular spot checks and publish reports and violations. It is the website owner themselves who is responsible for publishing an accessibility statement on the website, describing how they comply with WCAG.
The accessibility statement must be kept up to date when changes are made to the website – and at least once a year. In addition, there are requirements that the accessibility statement be detailed and exhaustive. It must be possible for the reader to identify the content that is not accessible via the accessibility statement. It is also important that the statement is easy to understand for everyone, including people without technical or professional insight.
Digital accessibility in practice
There are several different ways to work with WCAG. If you are already working with SEO on your website, you are well on your way. Part of working with WCAG is structuring content with headings in the correct order, using alt texts on images, using correct HTML and ARIA, and creating easy-to-read texts and relevant anchor texts for links.
It is also important to choose good color contrasts between text and background, so that it also appears clearly to the visually impaired. You should also ensure that audio or video does not play automatically.
There are also various accessibility plugins and extensions for most CMSs that help users. These can include functions for adjusting color contrasts, larger texts, removing images, etc. However, to be successful with these plugins, it is a prerequisite that you have a handle on the website's basic (technical) setup, as otherwise it will not be possible to use all the functions that are made available.
Navigation without a mouse – how does it work?
As written earlier, users should be able to navigate your website without using a mouse. That is, they should be able to navigate using only the keyboard. You can test whether this is possible on your website by using the following keys for navigation:
- Tab moves focus forward to the next element (e.g. button, link or input field)
- Shift + Tab goes backwards
- Enter activates the selected item
- Space is often used to activate checkboxes or buttons
- Arrow keys are used in dropdowns, menus, and galleries
The website must show where the focus is (e.g. with underlining or background), and users must be able to access all functions, e.g. navigate menus, fill out forms and complete purchases without using a mouse.
Why prioritize WCAG if you are not obligated to?
There are many good reasons to prioritize WCAG, even if you are not legally obligated (yet). First and foremost, it helps improve the user experience for all users and at the same time strengthens your SEO work. Google values many of the same technical and structural factors as WCAG, such as heading structure, alt texts and mobile friendliness.
Prioritizing WCAG now can also mean that you are better prepared for the future. As previously mentioned, it is expected that the requirements will spread to even more companies in the long term, and this gives you the opportunity to be at the forefront and implement a solid and well-tested solution.
We help you with WCAG
Would you like to know how your website is performing in relation to accessibility requirements? Or do you need help getting started with improvements? Contact us for a non-binding discussion about your options. Call us today at +45 87 25 07 87 or fill out the contact form.
