Businesses are under growing pressure to make their website usable for all. If you have also been working on website accessibility aspect then you must be thinking about WCAG certification.
W3C developed the WCAG guidelines which are available on their official website. However, there is no official license or certification issued by W3C. Still, many organizations seek such licence or certification because it is their official proof of WCAG compliance. Such reports show that their website has been tested and is accessible. When a website meets key WCAG standards it is less likely to be a target of serial litigants.
What is WCAG certification?
A WCAG certification is a proof of accessibility. It tells that your website is tested against WCAG 2.1 or WCAG 2.2 standards. As mentioned above you cannot get such certification from W3C Org but you can get one after conducting an independent accessibility audit.
Audit experts can run automated and manual WCAG test on your website. Once it passes the test, you can receive a compliance report. Sometimes you get this report in the form of VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template).
A VPAT is an empty template where there are multiple tables with columns for remarks about your website accessibility levels.
Who issues certification for WCAG accessibility?
W3C don’t issue any certifications, so you will need third party WCAG testing companies. There are many accessibility consultants in the US. Find a trusted and experienced one and ask them to perform automated and manual audits on your website.
These experts use:
Automated tools to scan for code-level errors and
Manual testing to check screen readers accessibility, keyboard-only access and color contrast checks.
Once testing is complete, you get a detailed Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) or VPAT document. The certification you get may depend on your industry requirements.
3 step process to get WCAG certified
Step 1: Start with an accessibility audit. Find problems in your website based on WCAG guidelines. You can perform automated and manual testing or ask audit experts to do so.
Step 2: Remediation. Focus on the audit report and work with your developer team on the flagged issues. You might need to resolve issues related to color contrast, missing alt text, broken links, inaccessible forms and PDFs.
Step 3: When problems are resolved, request a compliance certificate. You can do this quarterly or annually to maintain compliance.
Is WCAG Certification the Same as VPAT Certification?
WCAG certification and the VPAT ACR are different but related.
A VPAT is a detailed document to show that your website meets each WCAG criterion. Government agencies and large enterprises need a VPAT report before they buy digital products.
In short:
WCAG Certification = shows your site is developer as per WCAG standards.
VPAT Certification = provides formal documentation for compliance reviews.
You will likely need both if you sell to enterprise or government clients.
Final Thoughts
WCAG certification is a way to prove your website is accessible and follows WCAG compliance.
The certification isn’t issued directly by W3C. You can get one by working with an accessibility expert and completing a full WCAG audit.
Ready to get WCAG certified?
Consult the accessibility specialists at ADACP. They can test, fix, and certify your website for WCAG compliance.