From ef4c74710b92e5db3e0256ae7aac6957f1c30539 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Francis Storr Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2025 11:17:21 -0700 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Update WCAG 3 requirements MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit 1. Per #206, change most references to 3.0 to 3, and 2.x to 2. Remove reference to WCAG 2.1 Requirements as it’s out of date and there is no 2.2 equivalent. There is more work to do on this as the Silver taskforce was still in existence when it was written and some of the content is a little stale. --- src/pages/requirements.astro | 66 ++++++++++++++++-------------------- 1 file changed, 30 insertions(+), 36 deletions(-) diff --git a/src/pages/requirements.astro b/src/pages/requirements.astro index 8f6a8609..7a34d614 100644 --- a/src/pages/requirements.astro +++ b/src/pages/requirements.astro @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
-

The Requirements for W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0 documentation is the next phase of development of the next major upgrade to accessibility guidelines. WCAG 3.0 will be the successor to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 series. The Silver Task Force of the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group and the W3C Silver Community group have partnered to incubate the needs, requirements, and structure for the new accessibility guidance. To date, the group has:

+

The Requirements for W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3 documentation is the next phase of development of the next major upgrade to accessibility guidelines. WCAG 3 will be the successor to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 series. The Silver Task Force of the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group and the W3C Silver Community group partnered to incubate the needs, requirements, and structure for the new accessibility guidance. To date, the group has:

  1. Researched accessibility guidance needs.
  2. Developed problem statements and opportunities to improve accessibility guidance.
    3. @@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
-

The Requirements for WCAG 3.0 is published as a joint effort of the Silver Task Force of the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group and of the W3C Silver Community Group. It is a work in progress, and comments are welcome as Github Issues or by email to public-agwg-comments@w3.org.

+

The Requirements for WCAG 3 is published as a joint effort of the Silver Task Force of the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group and of the W3C Silver Community Group. It is a work in progress, and comments are welcome as Github Issues or by email to public-agwg-comments@w3.org.

This is the third phase of the Requirements after releasing the first public working draft of WCAG 3.0. Issues raised against the requirements were dealt with by the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group.

@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 was designed to be technology neutral, and has stayed relevant for over 10 years. Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 2.0 has been implemented in the open source authoring tool communities (chiefly Wordpress and Drupal) with little known uptake in commercial authoring tools. User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 2.0 offers useful guidance to user agent developers and has been implemented on an individual success criterion basis. There is no known user agent that has implemented all of UAAG 2.0.

-

Comparison to WCAG 2.x Requirements

-

WCAG 3.0 builds on the WCAG 2.0 Requirements of 2006. The WCAG 2.0 requirements are:

+

Comparison to WCAG 2 Requirements

+

WCAG 3 builds on the WCAG 2.0 Requirements of 2006. The WCAG 2.0 requirements are:

  1. Ensure that requirements may be applied across technologies.
  2. Ensure that the conformance requirements are clear.
    3. @@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
  3. Clearly identify who benefits from accessible content.
  4. Ensure that the revision is "backwards and forward compatible".
-

WCAG 3.0 wishes to advance the WCAG 2.0 Requirements of:

+

WCAG 3 wishes to advance the WCAG 2 Requirements of:

  • applied across technologies,
  • clear conformance,
    • @@ -55,22 +55,16 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
  • diverse audience, and
  • identify who benefits.
-

WCAG 3.0 does not want to advance the WCAG 2.0 requirement: "Ensure that the revision is 'backwards and forward compatible'" . The intention is to include WCAG 2.x content, but migrate it to a different structure and conformance model.

-

The WCAG 2.1 Requirements are very specific to WCAG 2.1 and will not be advanced by WCAG 3.0. WCAG 3.0 plans to migrate the content of WCAG 2.1 to WCAG 3.0, but the WCAG 2.1 Requirements document referred to structural requirements which are specific to WCAG 2.x.

-

The WCAG 2.1 Requirements are:

-
    -
  1. Define a clear conformance model for WCAG 2.1/dot.x releases.
    2. -
  2. Ensure the conformance structure utilizes the WCAG 2.0 A / AA / AAA model.
    3. -
+

WCAG 3 does not want to advance the WCAG 2 requirement: "Ensure that the revision is 'backwards and forward compatible'". The intention is to include WCAG 2 content, but migrate it to a different structure and conformance model. WCAG 3 plans to migrate the content of WCAG 2.2 to WCAG 3.0.

-

WCAG 3.0 Scope

-

WCAG 3.0 will have a broader scope than WCAG 2.x. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are scoped to Web and to Content. WCAG 3.0 is being designed to be able to include:

+

WCAG 3 Scope

+

WCAG 3 will have a broader scope than WCAG 2. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are scoped to web and to content. WCAG 3 is being designed to be able to include:

    -
  • Disability Needs: An improved measurement and conformance structure that includes guidance for a broad range of disabilities. This includes particular attention to the needs of low vision and cognitive accessibility, whose needs don't tend to fit the true/false statement success criteria of WCAG 2.x.
    • +
  • Disability Needs: An improved measurement and conformance structure that includes guidance for a broad range of disabilities. This includes particular attention to the needs of low vision and cognitive accessibility, whose needs don't tend to fit the true/false statement success criteria of WCAG 2.
  • Emerging Technologies: Flexibility to include emerging technologies, such as augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR/XR) and voice assistants
    • -
  • Support for the Technologies that Impact Accessibility: Advice for all levels of the accessibility technology stack who wish to support the WCAG 3.0 core Guidelines including:
      -
    • digital content, including guidance currently addressed by WCAG 2.x;
      • +
    • Support for the Technologies that Impact Accessibility: Advice for all levels of the accessibility technology stack who wish to support the WCAG 3 core guidelines including:
        +
      • digital content, including guidance currently addressed by WCAG 2;
      • authoring tools, such as content management systems;
      • user agents, such as browsers and media players;
      • assistive technologies, such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and assistants for memory, organization, or simplification;
        • @@ -83,8 +77,8 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";

Silver Task Force Research

-

The research done in 2017-2018 by the Silver Task Force, the Silver Community Group, and the research partners was used to identify the key problem statements related to the current accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2.x, ATAG 2.0 and UAAG 2.0). See the Silver Research Summary slides for more detailed information. These problem statements were used to identify the opportunities for WCAG 3.0 to address that will improve accessibility guidance.

-

A recurring theme identified in the year of WCAG 3.0 research was the popularity and quality of the WCAG 2.0 guidance. Most of the opportunities identified in the research were improvements in the structure and presentation of accessibility guidance to improve usability, support more disability needs, and improve maintenance.

+

The research done in 2017-2018 by the Silver Task Force, the Silver Community Group, and the research partners was used to identify the key problem statements related to the current accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2, ATAG 2 and UAAG 2). See the Silver Research Summary slides for more detailed information. These problem statements were used to identify the opportunities for WCAG 3 to address that will improve accessibility guidance.

+

A recurring theme identified in the year of WCAG 3 research was the popularity and quality of the WCAG 2.0 guidance. Most of the opportunities identified in the research were improvements in the structure and presentation of accessibility guidance to improve usability, support more disability needs, and improve maintenance.

Large and Dynamic Sites

@@ -92,12 +86,12 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";

Design Principles and Requirements

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This document has two sections: a Design Principles section and a Requirements section. Requirements need to be measured or clearly demonstrated. They are used at the W3C phase of Candidate Recommendation, where the Candidate Recommendation Transition Request reports that the requirements were met. Design Principles are important statements that are less measurable, but are used to guide, shape and steer decision-making during the development process of WCAG 3.0. Both are essential in guiding the development of the WCAG 3.0 project.

+

This document has two sections: a Design Principles section and a Requirements section. Requirements need to be measured or clearly demonstrated. They are used at the W3C phase of Candidate Recommendation, where the Candidate Recommendation Transition Request reports that the requirements were met. Design Principles are important statements that are less measurable, but are used to guide, shape and steer decision-making during the development process of WCAG 3. Both are essential in guiding the development of the WCAG 3 project.

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Opportunities for WCAG 3.0

-

The Problem Statements describe areas identified during the WCAG 3.0 research in 2017-2018 that can be addressed in the new guidelines. Each problem statement also has an opportunity section that is the basis for the WCAG 3.0 Requirements.

+

Opportunities for WCAG 3

+

The Problem Statements describe areas identified during the WCAG 3 research in 2017-2018 that can be addressed in the new guidelines. Each problem statement also has an opportunity section that is the basis for the WCAG 3 Requirements.

Usability

    @@ -110,16 +104,16 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
  • On-ramp for Beginners: When beginning users can develop understanding and mastery of the accessibility guidance, this leads to faster and greater acceptance of accessibility. This also creates the opportunity to convince developers and project managers to include accessibility at the beginning of a project instead of the end.
  • Current and Future Technology Oriented: Eliminating underlying assumptions and structure that are oriented toward the historic static web and improving guidance for modern web applications can increase acceptance by developers and provide greater accessibility of web and native applications.
    • -
  • Advocacy Tool: Usability oriented toward a broad audience for WCAG 3.0 can help improve the general advocacy of digital accessibility. Improving the reach of WCAG 3.0 can help improve the awareness of accessibility considerations. Compelling information that is contextually relevant to the standards may also aid in convincing audiences of any type.
    • +
  • Advocacy Tool: Usability oriented toward a broad audience for WCAG 3 can help improve the general advocacy of digital accessibility. Improving the reach of WCAG 3 can help improve the awareness of accessibility considerations. Compelling information that is contextually relevant to the standards may also aid in convincing audiences of any type.

Conformance Model

There are several areas for exploration in how conformance can work. These opportunities may or may not be incorporated. They need to work together, and that interplay will be governed by the design principles.

    -
  • Measurable Guidance: Certain accessibility guidance is best expressed as a true/false statement. Others far less so. There are needs of people with disabilities, especially cognitive and low vision disabilities, that are better captured by a different type of measurement. WCAG 3.0 can include guidance (guidelines) that use different means of evaluation beyond just true/false performance or outcome statements, allowing for the inclusion of more accessibility guidance.
    • -
  • Scope Options: WCAG 3.0 conformance could include web pages, web sites, page sections, individual components, and conformance based on a set of tasks as defined by the author of the site or application. A task-based assessment would allow flexibility for conformance of complex applications that go beyond component/tag assessment or full-page assessment.
    • -
  • Accessibility Supported: As the technologies advance, the lines between content, user agents, and assistive technology will continue to shift and blur. Interoperability may be affected by any number of factors outside of the control of the author and publisher of digital content. WCAG 3.0 can include advice to user agents and assistive technology developers. WCAG 3 does not intend to make authors responsible for interoperability problems beyond a reasonable effort.
    • +
  • Measurable Guidance: Certain accessibility guidance is best expressed as a true/false statement. Others far less so. There are needs of people with disabilities, especially cognitive and low vision disabilities, that are better captured by a different type of measurement. WCAG 3 can include guidance (guidelines) that use different means of evaluation beyond just true/false performance or outcome statements, allowing for the inclusion of more accessibility guidance.
    • +
  • Scope Options: WCAG 3 conformance could include web pages, web sites, page sections, individual components, and conformance based on a set of tasks as defined by the author of the site or application. A task-based assessment would allow flexibility for conformance of complex applications that go beyond component/tag assessment or full-page assessment.
    • +
  • Accessibility Supported: As the technologies advance, the lines between content, user agents, and assistive technology will continue to shift and blur. Interoperability may be affected by any number of factors outside of the control of the author and publisher of digital content. WCAG 3 can include advice to user agents and assistive technology developers. WCAG 3 does not intend to make authors responsible for interoperability problems beyond a reasonable effort.
@@ -128,8 +122,8 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
  • Flexibility: A flexible structure enables greater scaling of new methods to meet guidelines. It also allows for the expiration of outdated methods to meet guidelines. A flexible process of updating methods enables the overall guidance to keep pace with technology. Flexible participation – particularly of people with disabilities – empowers a community and enables more inclusive insights.
  • - Scaling: We intend WCAG 3.0 to apply to multiple contexts and multiple use cases. WCAG 3.0 intends to be iterative, future-friendly, and user-centric.
    • -
  • Evolving Technology: WCAG 3.0 needs a flexible design that can be updated as new technologies emerge, assistive technologies improve, and changing technologies produce new barriers for people with disabilities. Accessibility guidance and all supporting documentation should anticipate common scenarios like new technology and the introduction of new modalities like surface reaction and ultrahaptics. As content technology evolves, it must be re-evaluated against assistive technology for compatibility. Likewise, as assistive technology evolves or emerges, it must be evaluated against the backward compatibility of various content technology.
    • + Scaling: We intend WCAG 3 to apply to multiple contexts and multiple use cases. WCAG 3 intends to be iterative, future-friendly, and user-centric. +
  • Evolving Technology: WCAG 3 needs a flexible design that can be updated as new technologies emerge, assistive technologies improve, and changing technologies produce new barriers for people with disabilities. Accessibility guidance and all supporting documentation should anticipate common scenarios like new technology and the introduction of new modalities like surface reaction and ultrahaptics. As content technology evolves, it must be re-evaluated against assistive technology for compatibility. Likewise, as assistive technology evolves or emerges, it must be evaluated against the backward compatibility of various content technology.
  • Governance: Utilize tools that allow interested parties to predict when issues important to them are being discussed. Maintain a backlog that reflects issues along with their status.
  • @@ -140,11 +134,11 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";

    • Design Principles

    -

    The WCAG 3.0 Design Principles are based on the requirements of WCAG 2.x and build on those requirements to meet needs identified in the WCAG 3.0 research.

    +

    The WCAG 3 Design Principles are based on the requirements of WCAG 2 and build on those requirements to meet needs identified in the WCAG 3 research.

    Accessibility guidelines should:

    1. Support the needs of a wide range of people with disabilities and recognize that people have individual and multiple needs.
      2. -
    2. Support a measurement and conformance structure that includes guidance for a broad range of disabilities. This includes particular attention to the needs of low vision and cognitive accessibility, whose needs don't tend to fit the true/false statement success criteria of WCAG 2.x.
      3. +
    3. Support a measurement and conformance structure that includes guidance for a broad range of disabilities. This includes particular attention to the needs of low vision and cognitive accessibility, whose needs don't tend to fit the true/false statement success criteria of WCAG 2.
    4. Be flexible enough to support the needs of people with disabilities and keep up with emerging technologies. The information structure allows guidance to be added or removed.
    5. Be accessible and conform to the Guidelines.
    6. Be written in plain language, as easy as possible to understand.
      7. @@ -159,16 +153,16 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
    7. Actively recruit a diverse range of people with disabilities in recognition of the importance of their contributions to accessibility standards and solutions. Review and monitor whether people are included. Continually evaluate inclusive features of available tooling and procedures.
    8. Facilitate global participation and feedback.
    9. Be data-informed and evidence-based where possible. We recognize that research and evidence are influenced by the number of people with a particular disability, by the size of the body of research, and by the difficulty in capturing data regarding some disabilities or combination of disabilities. The intent is to make informed decisions wherever possible to ensure that the needs of all people with disabilities are prioritized, including needs that differ from the majority. In situations where there is no evidence or research, valid data-gathering methods should be used to obtain and evaluate information from advocacy groups, people with lived experience and other subject matter experts.
      10. -
    10. Be written so the Guideline content is usable in adaptable and customizable ways. For example, WCAG 3.0 content is available to be extracted by users to adapt to their needs.
      11. +
    11. Be written so the Guideline content is usable in adaptable and customizable ways. For example, WCAG 3 content is available to be extracted by users to adapt to their needs.

    Requirements

    -

    Previous W3C Accessibility Guidelines described how to make web pages accessible to people with disabilities. These guidelines provided a flexible framework that has kept the guidelines relevant for 10 years. Changing technology and changing needs of people with disabilities has shown areas where they could be improved. The requirements are drawn from the research performed by WCAG 3.0 to improve the guidelines, and the suggestions from the Silver Design Sprint.

    -

    The WCAG 3.0 Requirements are high level and will be expanded and refined as Silver members move through the prototyping process.

    +

    Previous W3C Accessibility Guidelines described how to make web pages accessible to people with disabilities. These guidelines provided a flexible framework that has kept the guidelines relevant for 10 years. Changing technology and changing needs of people with disabilities has shown areas where they could be improved. The requirements are drawn from the research performed by WCAG 3 to improve the guidelines, and the suggestions from the Silver Design Sprint.

    +

    The WCAG 3 Requirements are high level and will be expanded and refined as Silver members move through the prototyping process.

    Broad disability support

    -

    WCAG 3 guidance has a structure, tests, and/or approach that allows for requirements that are not available in WCAG 2.x, such as (but not limited to) additional needs of people with cognitive and learning disabilities, intersectional disabilities, and limited vision.

    +

    WCAG 3 guidance has a structure, tests, and/or approach that allows for requirements that are not available in WCAG 2, such as (but not limited to) additional needs of people with cognitive and learning disabilities, intersectional disabilities, and limited vision.

    Flexible maintenance and extensibility

    @@ -216,7 +210,7 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
    1. Moved the Opportunity for Evolving Technologies to Maintenance; added new opportunity for Flexibility in the Conformance section; and minor grammar corrections. (9 July 2018)
    2. Added headings to individual requirements (25 June 2018)
      3. -
    3. Added section on Comparison to WCAG 2.x (25 June 2018)
      4. +
    4. Added section on Comparison to WCAG 2 (25 June 2018)
    5. Changed Problem Statements to Opportunities based on AGWG feedback and group discussion (25 June 2018)
    6. Moved Design Principle #10 to #6. (25 June 2018)
    7. Changed wording of Multiple Ways to Measure (25 June 2018)
      8. @@ -235,7 +229,7 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
    8. New requirements for Readability, Regulatory Environment, Motivation, and Scope.
    9. Added paragraph explaining the differences between Design Principles and Requirements as a result of requests from the AGWG face-to-face meeting of 11 and 12 March 2019.
    10. Added new Design Principles and Requirements and changed wording of existing Design Principles and Requirements based on feedback from AGWG in Q1 and Q2 2019
      11. -
    11. Added a new Scope section to the Introduction that clarifies that WCAG 3.0 plans to address Authoring Tools, User agents and Apps. (26 April 2019)
      12. +
    12. Added a new Scope section to the Introduction that clarifies that WCAG 3 plans to address Authoring Tools, User agents and Apps. (26 April 2019)
    13. Reworded Technology Neutral to bring it more in line with the original WCAG 2.0 Requirements wording. (26 April 2019)
    14. changed Design Principle 9 to more clearly show that there will not be a hierarchy of disabilities and that when there is no research, how we will address that.
    From 61769056ce85fb783a5f09315b4bfd6f1aa5827a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Francis Storr Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2025 08:15:20 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] put back link to WCAG 2 requirements, but update it to 2.2 --- src/pages/requirements.astro | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/src/pages/requirements.astro b/src/pages/requirements.astro index 7a34d614..dd1e3445 100644 --- a/src/pages/requirements.astro +++ b/src/pages/requirements.astro @@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ import RequirementsRespec from "@/components/respec/RequirementsRespec.astro";
  • diverse audience, and
  • identify who benefits.
    • -

    WCAG 3 does not want to advance the WCAG 2 requirement: "Ensure that the revision is 'backwards and forward compatible'". The intention is to include WCAG 2 content, but migrate it to a different structure and conformance model. WCAG 3 plans to migrate the content of WCAG 2.2 to WCAG 3.0.

    +

    WCAG 3 does not want to advance the WCAG 2 requirement: "Ensure that the revision is 'backwards and forward compatible'". The WCAG 2.2 Requirements are very specific to WCAG 2.2 and will not be advanced by WCAG 3. The intention is to include WCAG 2 content, but migrate it to a different structure and conformance model. WCAG 3 plans to migrate the content of WCAG 2.2 to WCAG 3.

    WCAG 3 Scope