WCAG2ICT Overview

Introduction

WCAG2ICT provides guidance that describes how WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 (WCAG 2) criteria can be applied to non-web documents and software — including mobile apps, native applications, platform software, and software on ICT with closed functionality. For specific criteria, the guidance also provides technology-specific explanations that include highlighting difficulties with applying some WCAG 2 success criteria.  This is especially the case where WCAG makes assumptions on the presence of a browser that would not be true for non-web documents and software. Not all ICT have these concepts.

WCAG2ICT guidance is intended to help clarify how to use WCAG 2 to make non-web documents and software more accessible to people with disabilities. Addressing accessibility involves addressing the needs of people with auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech, and visual disabilities, as well as the needs of people with accessibility requirements due to the effects of aging. Although this document covers a wide range of issues, it is not able to address all the needs of all people with disabilities.

WCAG2ICT supports harmonized accessibility solutions across a range of technologies. It has been a key resource for including WCAG in ICT accessibility regulation, legislation, and standards around the world.

Background

The first version of WCAG2ICT was published in 2013 to address accessibility requirements for non-web ICT. It helped regulatory bodies develop standards (e.g., Section 508 and EN 301 549) to adopt WCAG criteria for non-web documents and software.

The 2013 version covered WCAG 2.0 Level A and Level AA. The latest version covers WCAG 2 Level A and Level AA.

Note: WCAG 2 was developed for the web and not for non-web ICT. This means that fully addressing accessibility for non-web documents and software involves requirements beyond those included in WCAG 2 and WCAG2ICT. For this reason, authors, designers and developers are encouraged to seek other relevant advice about current best practices to ensure that non-web documents and software are as accessible as possible to people with disabilities.

About WCAG 2

WCAG 2.0 is a normative web standard — that is, a W3C Recommendation and an ISO International Standard (ISO/IEC 40500:2012) — that explains how to make web content (including static web pages and dynamic web applications) more accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 was published in 2018 and WCAG 2.2 was published in 2023.

For more information on WCAG 2, see:

Intent and usage of WCAG2ICT

WCAG2ICT is a W3C Group Note that is informative — it is not normative and does not set requirements. It provides guidance on the application of WCAG 2 principles, guidelines, and success criteria to non-web documents and software. WCAG2ICT was developed to provide an authoritative interpretation of how WCAG 2 can apply in different contexts.

The main focus of WCAG2ICT is to provide replacements for web-based language in WCAG success criteria and definitions. It also provides insights into where WCAG criteria may make assumptions of the presence and functionality of a user agent and assistive technology when these may not exist. This is because not all non-web software has a user agent or platform software with accessibility APIs and services, nor do all non-web technologies have or support assistive technology that acts on programmatic information.

While WCAG2ICT provides guidance on applying WCAG in non-web contexts, application of some success criteria to electronic documents, whose source is driven by non-web markup technologies when they are delivered via a website, may benefit from more specific guidance. Likewise, guidance for mobile applications may also benefit from a greater level of detail.

WCAG2ICT versions

Who WCAG2ICT is for

WCAG2ICT is for anyone wanting to understand how WCAG 2 can be applied to non-web documents and software, including:

What is in WCAG2ICT

WCAG2ICT provides:

Technical document format

WCAG2ICT follows the W3C format for technical reports, which has several sections at the beginning, including links to different versions, editors, abstract, and status.

What WCAG2ICT does not do

WCAG2ICT:

Who develops WCAG2ICT

WCAG2ICT guidance is developed by the WCAG2ICT Task Force of the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AGWG). The Task Force work statement defines the objectives, scope, and approach for WCAG2ICT.

The participants of the WCAG2ICT Task Force are volunteers from W3C Member organizations and invited experts, and they are supported by W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) staff.

Comments

To comment on the WCAG2ICT guidance, open a new GitHub issue. Please create a separate GitHub issue for each topic, rather than commenting on multiple topics in a single issue. It is free to create a GitHub account.

If it’s not feasible for you to use GitHub, email your comments to: public-wcag2ict-comments@w3.org. Please put your comments in the body of the message, not as an attachment.

If you have comments on the wording quoted from WCAG 2 or Understanding WCAG 2, follow the Instructions for Commenting on WCAG 2 Documents.

W3C WAI resources related to WCAG2ICT:

Though there are many standards that cover non-web software aspects of ICT, the following is a non-exhaustive list of standards and rules that use or reference WCAG2ICT:

Back to Top