The different accessibility guidelines help businesses adhere to regional and international accessibility standards. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG are one of the dedicated accessibility standards created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). However, with the rise in the popularity of the leading WCAG standards like WCAG 2.0 compliances, several misconceptions surround these guidelines.
This write-up delves into the role of common issues with the WCAG 2.0 standards leading to inadequate implementation or misunderstandings. We’ll go through the key issues and the possible issues to handle these issues.
Common Misconceptions about WCAG 2.0 Compliances and Effective Solutions
Here is a quick list of the common misconceptions about WCAG 2.0 guidelines and the right guidance to address these issues:
Compliance guarantees accessibility for all users
Firstly, businesses think that adhering to the WCAG 2.0 guidelines will make their websites accessible to all users covering the general audience and people suffering from different impairments. However, it is a misconception that WCAG 2.0 is a critical framework for accessibility but it does not cover all accessibility scenarios.
Solution: Complying with the WCAG 2.0 is a baseline for accessibility but a complete solution. Hence, the best solution is to adopt user testing, automated testing, and manual testing initiatives.
Compliance is a one-time task
Another common issue with the WCAG 2.0 guidelines is that it is only a one-time task. Hence, many businesses prefer to complete it and then tend to forget it. However, it is not true as accessibility standards are consistently evolving.
Solution: Websites and accessibility regulations are dynamic. Hence, it is essential to ensure that compliance management is not a one-time task. It is easy for companies to incorporate the key accessibility standards in the website design and development process. The regular audits further help keep the websites accessible along with their growth and changes.
Automated tools can ensure compliance
The dedicated WCAG accessibility audit may include only automated tools for ensuring adherence to these compliances. While these automated tools help in the quick identification of accessibility issues, the chances are high that many issues stay unidentified.
Solution: The identification of the key accessibility issues is not sufficiently performed using the automated tools only. The incorporation of user testing and manual testing further helps in finding the key accessibility issues and then offering the right remediation solutions. The real-time feedback from user testing further helps in quick adjustments to the accessibility issues.
Compliance and usability are the same
Many modern businesses confuse adherence to compliance with usability for a large audience. However, compliance and usability are not the same as adhering to compliances may not mean that the website is now accessible to the masses.
Solution: Adhering to the WCAG compliances helps adhere to the accessibility while the usable websites involve the creation of a positive user experience. It helps in conducting user testing involving people with impairments and improves the design and functionality of the websites.
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Compliances adhere to visual accessibility or design accessibility only
Last but not least, many companies may develop the misconception that WCAG compliances are linked to visual accessibility only. However, some may think that compliance is only linked to design problems.
Solution: WCAG compliances cover a range of accessibility issues covering the visual accessibility and other accessibility solutions. It does cover keyboard accessibility, and accessibility of websites for auditory, cognitive, motor, or other impairments. The same is not true for the design issues as accessibility is more than font size and color contrast issues. The web accessibility issues cover a range of people suffering from different impairments which is not limited to visual or design elements only.
Summing Up
WCAG 2.0 compliances are prone to several misconceptions in the process of creating a highly accessible and inclusive digital environment. It is easy to go through the different compliances and then go ahead with the practical solutions to handle these issues precisely.
Not to miss is the handling of these misconceptions precisely to create highly user-friendly and interactive digital experiences.
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