Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 A further step towards accessible digital information

摘要

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain the changes in the Web Content AccessibilityGuidelines (WCAG) 2.0 compared with WCAG 1.0 within the context of its historical development.Design/methodology/approach – In order to compare WCAG 2.0 with WCAG 1.0 a diachronicanalysis of the evolution of these standards is done. Known authors and publications in the field, theWeb Accessibility Initiative (WAI) web pages, WebAIM and the blogosphere were also monitored forcomments and third-party analyses. The analysis of the main changes from WCAG 1.0 to WCAG 2.0was based on personal experience with WAI guidelines, experimentation with some of the newguidelines, and a selection of best practice online services in the application of the WCAG, includingWAI documentation. Findings – WCAG 2.0 is more educational and is applied to more technologies than WCAG 1.0. Thelimitations of WCAG 1.0 are mostly due to its origin. In changing from one to the other, new prioritiesand new elements must be taken into account. The paper concludes that though these guidelines are auseful tool for governments, they are only the first step towards accessibility, which can only beachieved through user-centred design. Originality/value – This paper explains the significance and limitations of the WCAG and gives ashort guide to adapting web sites to the new regulations.