WCAG
WCAG principles and requirements
- Last reviewed
- 31 July 2026
Understand what WCAG 2.2 is, the principles behind it and the level that DfE products and services must meet.
Principles
WCAG 2.2 is organised around 4 principles.
Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presented in ways that users can perceive. This means content should be available to at least one of a user's senses (sight, hearing, touch).
Use the guidelines to meet the Perceivable principle.
Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable. Users should be able to use and interact with the interface effectively.
Use the guidelines to meet the Operable principle.
Understandable
Information and the operation of user interfaces must be understandable. Users should be able to comprehend the information, as well as how to use the interface.
Use the guidelines to meet the Understandable principle.
Robust
Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This means ensuring compatibility as technologies evolve.
Use the guidelines to meet the Robust principle.
What we have to meet
DfE products and services must meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
WCAG uses conformance levels to describe how well a product or service meets its accessibility requirements. There are 3 levels: A, AA and AAA. Each level builds on the previous one, adding more requirements to improve accessibility.
Start by aiming for Level A to cover essential barriers, then work towards Level AA to address the most frequent issues. Consider Level AAA where feasible to offer the fullest accessibility possible.
Level A
This is the minimum level of conformance. It addresses the most basic web accessibility features and includes requirements that will have the highest impact on the largest number of users with disabilities.
Level AA
This level addresses the biggest and most common barriers for disabled users. It's often considered the standard level of conformance for web accessibility.
Level AAA
This is the highest and most stringent level of conformance.
It includes additional improvements that will make content accessible to the maximum number of users. However, it is recognised that it may not be possible to meet all Level AAA success criteria for all content.
Declaring compliance
Your accessibility statement must say whether your product or service meets WCAG Level AA, and explain any parts that do not.
The accessibility statement must declare one of the following:
Fully compliant All pages of the product or website, including every step in any transactional service, must meet all WCAG level A and AA success criteria in full.
Partially compliant One or more, but less than half, of WCAG Level A and AA success criteria have not been met.
Non-compliant More than half of all WCAG Level A and AA success criteria have not been met.