WCAG Compliance Testing & Certification

With the increase in digital accessibility awareness and the importance of making websites accessible to all visitors, companies are seeking ways to ensure their websites meet the WCAG standards and, more specifically, ADA and AODA Ontario requirements in Canada. 

One way to demonstrate compliance with these standards is by obtaining web accessibility certification. In this article, we will talk about WCAG in general, cover the WCAG certification process, and explain how to ensure your website is WCAG-compliant.

What Is WCAG Certification?

Before we start off proper, we have to answer the basic question — what is WCAG certification?
WCAG certification is a way for organizations to show that their websites meet the standards set forth by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines are developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and are designed to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. 

By obtaining WCAG accessibility certification, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to accessibility and ensure that their websites are usable by all individuals, regardless of their abilities.

There are three main types of WCAG certification:

• WCAG 2.0 certification (introduced December 11, 2008)
• WCAG 2.1 certification (introduced June 5, 2018)
• WCAG 2.2 certification (introduced October 5, 2023)

WCAG Certification Process

How to get certified for WCAG compliance? The process of getting a WCAG certificate typically involves an accessibility audit of the website to determine its level of compliance with the WCAG standards. 

This audit may include: 

• testing with assistive technologies
• manual testing
• automated testing tools

After the audit is completed, organizations may receive a report detailing areas of non-compliance and recommendations for improvements.

What Does a Website Accessibility Testing Include?

Companies that provide WCAG compliance testing services, WCAG 2.0 accessibility testing typically includes testing for: 

• keyboard navigation
• screen reader compatibility
• alt text for images
• color contrast
• other aspects of accessibility 

The process itself involves using WCAG compliance testing tools, both manual and automatic. Testing may also include ensuring that forms are accessible, videos have captions, and any interactive elements are usable by all site visitors. It is important to find out if there are any blockers which prevent website visitors who use assistive technologies from completing their action on the website.

How to Get Certified

How to get certified for WCAG compliance? To obtain WCAG certification, website owners should work with accessibility consultants or agencies that specialize in website accessibility testing and remediation. 

These experts can help site owners identify areas of non-compliance, make necessary improvements, and ensure their websites meet the WCAG standards (WCAG 2.2 AA and WCAG 2.2 AAA).

Remediation

When it comes to remediating accessibility issues on a website and ultimately getting a WCAG certificate, organizations have the option to use an internal development team or hire an external agency that offers WCAG compliance testing services. 

While using an internal team may be cheaper, hiring an agency to ensure an AODA compliant website can help you ensure that all accessibility issues are properly addressed and that the website meets the WCAG standards.

Re-Audit

After completing WCAG compliance testing and making necessary improvements to address accessibility issues, website owners should consider re-auditing their website to ensure that it meets the WCAG standards. 
This re-audit can help organizations verify that all accessibility issues have been resolved and that their website is compliant with the guidelines.

WCAG Certification

There are three levels of WCAG certification: A, AA, and AAA. Level A certification represents the minimum level of accessibility compliance, while Level AAA represents the highest level of accessibility compliance. 

When getting a WCAG certificate, organizations can choose the level of certification that best fits their accessibility goals and requirements.

In addition to that, you can obtain three types of accessibility certification in Canada:

1. Statement of Accessibility (declares that a website has been designed and developed to be accessible to people with disabilities)
2. Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) statement (a document prepared by a website owner that describes how well the website conforms to the accessibility standards of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act)
3. WCAG 2.2 Conformance Claim (outlines a website's or web application's conformance to the mentioned WCAG standard)

Conclusion

WCAG certification is an important step for website owners looking to demonstrate their commitment to digital accessibility and ensure that their websites are usable by all individuals.

By following the WCAG certification process, addressing accessibility issues, and obtaining certification, site owners can improve the user experience for all site visitors and show their dedication to inclusivity and accessibility.

Interested in WCAG compliance testing services? Reach out to Zwebra today to get a quote on a WCAG audit of your project.