The de facto standard for web accessibility has been updated for the first time since 1999. Version two of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG 2.0, was published today after several years of development and debate.
The international guidelines exist to help web designers and developers create sites that better meet the needs of users with disabilities and older users. In the UK, websites are legally required to be accessible and usable and conforming to WCAG can help an organisation to achieve compliance.
The guidelines address barriers to accessing the web experienced by people with visual, auditory, physical, cognitive and neurological disabilities, and by older web users with accessibility needs. They deal with, for instance text alternatives for images, readability, captions for audio, and colour contrast.
