Impact on Design and Development: WCAG 2.1

Introduction:

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure that web content is accessible to people with disabilities. The latest version of these guidelines is WCAG 2.1, which was released in 2018. In this blog, we will discuss the practical implications for designers and developers in transitioning from WCAG 2.0 to WCAG 2.1. We will highlight changes in coding practices, design considerations, and the overall development workflow.Changes in Coding Practices:
WCAG 2.1 includes several new success criteria that were not present in WCAG 2.0. These new success criteria require changes in coding practices to ensure that web content is accessible to people with disabilities.

Some of the new success criteria include:

1. Success Criterion 1.3.4: Orientation: This success criterion requires that content can be presented in portrait or landscape orientation without losing information or functionality. To meet this criterion, designers and developers need to ensure that their content is responsive and can adapt to different screen sizes and orientations.
2. Success Criterion 1.3.5: Identify Input Purpose: This success criterion requires that the purpose of each input field is identified programmatically. This means that designers and developers need to ensure that each input field has a label that describes its purpose.
3. Success Criterion 2.5.3: Label in Name: This success criterion requires that the visible label for a user interface component is also included in the accessible name for that component. This means that designers and developers need to ensure that the label for each user interface component is included in the accessible name for that component.

Design Considerations:

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WCAG 2.1 also includes new design considerations that were not present in WCAG 2.0. These new design considerations require designers to think about accessibility from the beginning of the design process. Some of the new design considerations include:

1. Non-Text Contrast: This design consideration requires that non-text content, such as images and icons, have sufficient contrast with their background to be easily distinguishable. Designers need to ensure that the contrast ratio between non-text content and its background meets the minimum requirements specified in WCAG 2.1.
2. Text Spacing: This design consideration requires that text spacing is adjustable without loss of content or functionality. Designers need to ensure that their designs allow for adjustable text spacing to accommodate users with visual impairments.

Overall Development Workflow:

Transitioning from WCAG 2.0 to WCAG 2.1 requires changes in the overall development workflow. Designers and developers need to ensure that accessibility is considered throughout the development process, from design to implementation. Some of the changes in the development workflow include:

1. Accessibility Testing: Designers and developers need to perform accessibility testing throughout the development process to ensure that their content meets the requirements of WCAG 2.1. This includes testing with assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard-only navigation.
2. Accessibility Documentation: Designers and developers need to document the accessibility features of their content to ensure that they are easily understood by other members of the development team and by users with disabilities.

Common challenges faced when transitioning.

Transitioning from WCAG 2.0 to WCAG 2.1 can present some challenges for designers and developers. Some of the common challenges faced during this transition include:

1. New Success Criteria: WCAG 2.1 includes new success criteria that were not present in WCAG 2.0. These new success criteria require changes in coding practices and design considerations to ensure that web content is accessible to people with disabilities.
2. Collaboration: Transitioning from WCAG 2.0 to WCAG 2.1 requires collaborative efforts between design and development teams. Designers need to work closely with developers to implement changes that align with the new guidelines.
3. Accessibility Testing: Designers and developers need to perform accessibility testing throughout the development process to ensure that their content meets the requirements of WCAG 2.1. This includes testing with assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard-only navigation.
4. Training: Transitioning to WCAG 2.1 involves an educational component. Designers, developers, content creators, and testers need to be trained on the new success criteria and how they impact the creation of digital content.
5. Documentation: Documenting the entire transition process, from assessment to implementation and testing, is crucial. This documentation serves as a reference for the team and aids in demonstrating compliance and due diligence.

Conclusion:

Transitioning from WCAG 2.0 to WCAG 2.1 requires changes in coding practices, design considerations, and the overall development workflow. Designers and developers need to ensure that accessibility is considered throughout the development process to ensure that their content is accessible to people with disabilities.