---
title: "WCAG"
description: "WCAG 2.2 AA: W3C web accessibility guidelines, contrast, keyboard navigation, alt text and captions. We build sites accessible to everyone."
url: https://seo7.es/en/wcag
canonical: https://seo7.es/en/wcag
lang: en
type: WebPage
---

# WCAG

> WCAG 2.2 AA: W3C web accessibility guidelines, contrast, keyboard navigation, alt text and captions. We build sites accessible to everyone.

Page: https://seo7.es/en/wcag

## Summary for AI

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) are W3C guidelines for ensuring web content accessibility for people with disabilities. Level AA is the mandatory standard for EU government websites under the accessibility directive. An accessible website reaches a wider audience and is better indexed by search engines. Semantic markup and alt texts directly affect Google rankings. In Spain and the EU, WCAG compliance reduces legal risks and opens access to public tenders.

## Questions and answers

### What do the four WCAG principles mean?

Perceivable: content is available through different senses. Operable: the site can be used with a keyboard, without a mouse. Understandable: text is readable and the interface behaves predictably. Robust: the site is compatible with assistive technologies, such as screen readers. The whole W3C web content accessibility guidance is built on these four principles.

### How many criteria does level AA include?

Level AA includes more than 50 success criteria. They are grouped under the four WCAG principles: perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. Among them are text contrast of at least 4.5:1 and keyboard operation. The studio implements AA through seven practices, from semantic markup to tests with screen readers.

### Who is required to meet WCAG 2.2 AA in the EU?

Level AA is mandatory for public sector websites in the European Union: the European accessibility directive 2016/2102 requires it. For commercial sites the standard's page names no direct obligation, but it notes that compliance lowers legal risks in a number of countries, and Google takes accessibility into account when assessing site quality.

### How many people need an accessible website?

According to the standard's page, 15% of the world's population has some form of disability. A site without accessibility risks leaving that part of the audience without the information and services they need. That is why an accessible site reaches a wider audience, and it is the first WCAG benefit the page names in its business block.

### How does accessibility affect SEO?

Google uses page semantics and image alt texts when ranking. That is why semantic markup and alt texts for meaningful images directly affect Google positions. An accessible site is also indexed better by search engines and reaches a wider audience. This is stated directly in the business benefits block.

### What is used to check a site for accessibility?

The site is tested with the NVDA and VoiceOver screen readers. It fully supports keyboard navigation and focus states, so you can see where the focus is as you move between elements. This checks operability, the second WCAG principle: the site can be used without a mouse. Testing is included in every studio project.

### What text contrast does the studio use?

At least 4.5:1 between text and background, as level AA requires. Where possible, contrast is raised to 7:1, which is level AAA. Contrast is one of the seven practices the studio uses to implement WCAG, along with semantic markup, alt texts, and captions and transcripts for video and audio.

### Why subtitles and transcripts on the site?

Captions and transcripts for video and audio content make it perceivable for those who cannot listen to sound. This follows directly from the first WCAG principle: content is accessible through different senses. If the site has video or audio, a text version is part of the work for level AA.

### Are alt texts needed for every image?

Alt texts are written for all meaningful images, meaning those that carry information. Screen readers use them to describe the image to a person who can't see it, and Google uses them for ranking. Alt texts are among the four main practices in the WCAG card, along with contrast, keyboard access and ARIA markup.

### What are ARIA attributes and where are they needed?

ARIA attributes are added to interactive components: buttons, menus, expandable blocks and dialogs. They tell assistive technologies what the element is and what state it is in. This meets the WCAG robustness principle, compatibility with assistive technologies, and the site works correctly in the NVDA and VoiceOver screen readers.

### How is WCAG 2.2 AA useful for a business in Spain?

In Spain and the EU, WCAG compliance lowers legal risk and opens access to public tenders. This is a benefit on top of a wider audience and better search rankings, which the other points on the page cover. The studio builds WCAG 2.2 AA into every project along with GDPR, ISO 27001 and ISO 9001.

### Why does semantic HTML markup matter for accessibility?

Semantic HTML markup with a correct heading hierarchy from H1 to H6 describes the page structure so that both assistive technologies and search engines understand it. It is the first of seven practices the studio uses to implement WCAG 2.2 AA in every project, and the basis of the robustness principle: compatibility with assistive technologies.

### Where is the official WCAG documentation?

The standard's page links to the official W3C documentation on WCAG standards and guidelines. The W3C consortium is what publishes these web content accessibility recommendations. If you need to understand which of them matter for your site, the studio will discuss the project: the brief and WhatsApp are in the final block of the page.

### Does accessibility help phone users?

Yes. The standard's page explicitly notes that accessibility improves UX for all users, including mobile ones. Clear text and predictable interface behavior, which the WCAG understandability principle requires, are equally needed on desktop and on a phone. So accessibility also benefits sites where most visitors come from a phone.

## Other languages

- RU: https://seo7.es/ru/wcag
- ES: https://seo7.es/es/wcag

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