WCAG
accessibility

 Why this is a baseline requirement 

Accessibility is no longer a nice-to-have. In 2026, WCAG compliance is a baseline requirement for professional websites. At DYKZ, we build websites that already meet the key accessibility guidelines at their core — not because we optimise specifically for WCAG, but because a website that works for everyone is simply a better website.

Book a consultation ↗Read about W3C valid HTML

Accessible  for everyone.

 

What is WCAG?

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international standard for web accessibility, developed by the W3C. The guidelines describe how to make web content accessible to people with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities.

On 21 October 2025, WCAG 2.2 was officially approved as an international ISO standard (ISO/IEC 40500:2025). That's a significant milestone: accessibility is no longer just a W3C recommendation, but a globally recognised standard that governments and procurement bodies can now reference directly.

The four principles
of WCAG: POUR

The four principles of WCAG: POUR

 

Perceivable

Users must be able to perceive information through their senses: alternative text for images, sufficient colour contrast (at least 4.5:1 for normal text), content that works with screen readers, subtitles for video.

Operable

Navigation and interaction must be usable by everyone: fully operable by keyboard, no "keyboard traps", skip links to the main content, enough time to read and respond.

Understandable

Content and interactions must be predictable: clear language, consistent navigation, error messages that explain how to fix the issue, help mechanisms in a fixed place.

Robust

Content must work with current and future technology: valid HTML and CSS, compatible with assistive technology, semantic markup machines can interpret.

 

WCAG 2.2: nine new success criteria

WCAG 2.2 adds nine new success criteria to WCAG 2.1, focused mainly on keyboard focus, simpler interactions and accessible authentication:

  • Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), AA — an element with keyboard focus must not be entirely hidden behind, for example, a sticky header.
  • Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced), AAA — the entire element must remain visible when focused.
  • Focus Appearance, AAA — focus indicators must be large enough and have at least 3:1 contrast.
  • Dragging Movements, AA — drag-based actions must also be achievable with a single click or tap.
  • Target Size (Minimum), AA — clickable elements at least 24×24 CSS pixels, or enough spacing between them to prevent accidental activation.
  • Consistent Help, A — help mechanisms (contact, chat, self-help) appear in the same relative location on every page.
  • Redundant Entry, A — information already entered is auto-filled, not requested again.
  • Accessible Authentication (Minimum), AA — logging in doesn't require a cognitive memory task without an alternative.
  • Accessible Authentication (Enhanced), AAA — a stricter version: object recognition may not be the sole authentication method.

WCAG 2.2 is backward compatible with 2.1 and 2.0: meeting 2.2 automatically means you meet the earlier versions too.

 

Three conformance levels

  • Level A — minimum accessibility, the baseline requirement.
  • Level AA — the standard target, and legally required in many countries.
  • Level AAA — enhanced accessibility, the gold standard.

For most commercial websites, Level AA is the realistic and legally relevant target.

WCAG and W3C-valid HTML:
a natural connection

WCAG and W3C-valid HTML: a natural connection

 

At DYKZ, we build websites with W3C-valid HTML as standard. That's no coincidence — valid HTML and WCAG accessibility go hand in hand.

Semantic structure

A correct heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3) and semantic elements (<nav>, <main>, <article>, <footer>) give screen readers the structure they need to navigate and interpret content.

Alt text and labels

Valid HTML requires the correct use of alt attributes on images and <label for="..."> to link form labels to input fields.

Keyboard navigation

Correct HTML results in a natural tab order and visible, predictable focus states.

Contrast and readability

Valid CSS ensures consistent, measurable and reproducible styling — including contrast ratios.

Robust and future-proof

Valid code works more reliably with current and future browsers and assistive technology, with fewer edge cases that unintentionally break accessibility.

In short: a website with W3C-valid HTML is already more accessible at its core than a website with messy code. At DYKZ, this isn't a deliberate "WCAG strategy" — it's a natural result of how we build.

 

The benefits of WCAG compliance

1. SEO: a correlation with more organic traffic

A Semrush/AccessibilityChecker.org study of 10,000 websites (2025) shows that sites with a higher accessibility score attract 23% more organic traffic on average and rank for 27% more keywords. That's a correlation, not proven causation — but it's logically explainable, since many accessibility practices overlap with basic SEO work: a solid heading structure, descriptive alt text, meaningful link text ("read more about our services" instead of "click here"), and fast load times.

2. Conversion and revenue: concrete case studies

Beyond the SEO correlation, there are well-documented case studies: Tesco invested £35,000 in accessibility and saw annual site revenue rise to £13 million; Legal & General reported a 50% increase in organic search traffic after an accessibility project. Forrester Research uses a rule of thumb that every dollar invested in accessibility can return up to $100 in broader business value (through revenue, SEO, legal risk and customer retention combined) — an indication of potential, not a guaranteed return for every website.

3. Legal compliance: avoid lawsuits

In many countries, WCAG AA compliance is legally relevant or mandatory: in the US through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), in the EU through the European Accessibility Act (mandatory since 28 June 2025), and in the Netherlands through the Equal Treatment on the Grounds of Disability or Chronic Illness Act. Government websites must meet WCAG 2.1 AA. Settlements in US ADA lawsuits typically range from $5,000 to $25,000, with outliers well above $350,000 for large companies — on top of reputational damage.

4. Future-proof: AI and agentic browsing

AI agents that browse websites autonomously largely rely on the same techniques as screen readers: they depend on semantic HTML and a clear structure to understand and navigate content. A website that's strong on accessibility is therefore often also well prepared for AI findability (GEO).

- Read more about agentic browsing ↗

5. Cost savings: avoid expensive retrofits

Adding accessibility after the fact is significantly more expensive than getting it right from the start — think of a modest additional investment during development versus a full audit and remediation round after launch, plus ongoing maintenance, since accessibility isn't a one-off check but a continuous process. At DYKZ, we build accessibility in, not on.

How DYKZ
approaches accessibility

How DYKZ approaches accessibility

 

Accessibility at DYKZ isn't a separate "feature" — it's a natural result of how we build websites:

  • W3C-valid HTML — clean, semantic code, correct heading hierarchy, alt text on every image.
  • Keyboard navigation — fully operable without a mouse, skip links, clearly visible focus states.
  • Colour contrast — at least 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text.
  • Responsive design — works on every device, with clickable targets of at least 24×24 CSS pixels (the WCAG 2.2 AA standard); for mobile buttons we often use 44×44 pixels, in line with Apple's and Google's recommended guidelines for mobile interfaces.
  • Form accessibility — labels correctly linked to fields, clear error messages, support for auto-filling previously entered data.
  • Performance — fast load times (95 to 100 PageSpeed), no auto-playing audio/video, animations that can be paused.

You won't get a website that's "WCAG-certified" with an expensive seal (that doesn't really exist in that form), but a website that already meets the key WCAG 2.2 AA criteria at its core. Want a formal, independent audit? We're happy to work with a specialist agency for an official statement — but for most businesses, our standard approach is more than sufficient.

 

Quick self-test: 5 minutes

  • Keyboard test — navigate your site with Tab. Can you reach all links, buttons and forms? Is focus clearly visible? Does Shift + Tab take you back?
  • Screen reader test — install a free screen reader (NVDA for Windows, VoiceOver for Mac) and listen to your homepage. Is the order logical, do images have alt text?
  • Contrast check — test your key text/colour combinations with a free tool such as the WebAIM Contrast Checker.
  • Zoom test — zoom to 200%. Does everything stay readable, without horizontal scrolling?
  • Alt text check — right-click images → "Inspect". Is there a meaningful alt attribute (not "image1.jpg")?

Free tools: WAVE (wave.webaim.org), Lighthouse (in Chrome DevTools), axe DevTools (browser extension), Color Contrast Analyzer.

The conclusion

 Good craftsmanship 

WCAG compliance is no longer a marketing gimmick in 2026 — it's a baseline requirement for professional websites. The benefits are concrete: a demonstrable correlation with more organic traffic, well-documented case studies around revenue and conversion, reduced legal risk, a stronger position for AI systems, and significant cost savings compared with fixing things later.

At DYKZ, we don't build "WCAG websites" as a separate product. We build good websites, and good websites are accessible by definition. W3C-valid HTML, semantic markup, fast performance and clear structure aren't optional extras — they're standard.

Want to know if your current website is accessible? Get in touch for a no-obligation quick scan.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

 Open and transparent 

What is WCAG?

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international standard for web accessibility, developed by the W3C. The guidelines describe how to make web content accessible to people with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities.

What are the four principles of WCAG (POUR)?

Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. Together, these four principles form the basis of all WCAG guidelines.

What is new in WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 adds nine new success criteria to WCAG 2.1, focused on keyboard focus, simpler interactions (such as dragging and target size) and accessible authentication. Since 21 October 2025, WCAG 2.2 has also been a recognised ISO standard: ISO/IEC 40500:2025.

Which conformance level should my website meet?

For most commercial websites, Level AA is the realistic and legally relevant target. Level A is the minimum baseline, and Level AAA is the gold standard but often not fully achievable or necessary in practice.

Do DYKZ websites meet WCAG?

DYKZ websites already meet the key WCAG 2.2 Level AA criteria at a base level, as a natural result of how they're built: W3C-valid HTML, semantic markup, keyboard navigation and sufficient colour contrast. For a formal, independent audit, DYKZ can work with a specialist agency if needed.

 

Sources

DYKZ values transparency and clarity. This article was written based on official W3C documentation and independent research into the relationship between accessibility, SEO and business outcomes. Feel free to get in touch with any questions or feedback.

 Free quick scan 

Is your website
accessible?

Get in touch for a no-obligation quick scan. In 30 minutes, we'll tell you where you stand and what's possible.

Book a consultation ↗Website design
Call: +31 6 24 859 445WhatsApp: +31 85 800 9 800Email: marnix@dykz.nl