Global · 2018
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG)/ wuh-cag /
WCAG 2.1 is the World Wide Web Consortium's accessibility standard published June 2018, adding 17 success criteria to WCAG 2.0 — primarily addressing mobile, low vision, and cognitive disabilities — and currently referenced as the conformance baseline by the European Accessibility Act and most procurement frameworks.
What is WCAG 2.1?
WCAG 2.1 added 17 new success criteria to WCAG 2.0 (12 at AA, 5 at AAA), covering mobile interactions, orientation, reflow, target size, status messages, and identification of input purpose. It remains the operative legal baseline for the EU under EN 301 549 v3.2.1 and is widely referenced in US settlements and consent decrees.
Conformance levels
- Level A: 30 criteria. Minimum.
- Level AA: 50 criteria. Legal target.
- Level AAA: 78 criteria. Enhanced.
Who does WCAG 2.1 apply to?
- EU EAA-covered services (until standard updates to 2.2)
- Public-sector procurement worldwide
- Most US ADA settlements 2019–2024
Scope
- Web content
- Mobile web
- Web applications
Penalties for non-compliance
- Same as WCAG 2.2 — penalties are downstream of the national law citing WCAG
How to comply with WCAG 2.1
- Inventory and baseline. Catalog properties in scope; run automated scan as floor.
- Manual audit. Hire IAAP-credentialed auditors; cover keyboard, screen reader, zoom, cognitive.
- Remediate at source. Fix code, train developers, instrument CI.
- Document. Publish accessibility statement and VPAT.
- Maintain. Re-audit annually; regression-test every release.
Comparisons
- WCAG 2.1 vs WCAG 2.2: 2.2 adds 9 criteria to 2.1. All 2.1 criteria remain. Migration is additive.
- WCAG 2.1 vs WCAG 2.0: 2.1 adds 17 criteria to 2.0. 2.0 conformance does not satisfy 2.1.
- WCAG 2.1 vs ADA: ADA references WCAG by implication via DOJ guidance; 2.1 AA is the common settlement target.
Authoritative sources
A note on widgets and overlays
Can an accessibility widget make your site compliant?
No. Widgets adjust how content renders for individual visitors — text size, contrast modes, dyslexia-friendly fonts. They do not remediate the underlying source code. WCAG conformance is graded at source level, and US federal courts (Murphy v. Eyebobs, Suarez v. Camping World, Hernandez v. Caesars) have repeatedly held that the presence of an overlay does not preclude ADA liability.
Our product produces an IAAP-format audit report with source-level remediation guidance. If you want a preferences panel for end users, ship one separately — opt-in, disclosed, and never marketed as a compliance solution.
See the Overlay Fact Sheet, signed by 900+ accessibility professionals.
FAQ
WCAG 2.1 — frequently asked questions
Cited answers. Sourced. Updated as standards and case law change.
Should we comply with WCAG 2.1 or 2.2?
Plan to WCAG 2.2 — it is a superset of 2.1. Existing settlements and EU regulations referencing 2.1 will accept 2.2 conformance.
When was WCAG 2.1 published?
W3C Recommendation, 5 June 2018.
What are the new criteria in 2.1 over 2.0?
Seventeen criteria including 1.3.4 Orientation, 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose, 1.4.10 Reflow, 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast, 1.4.12 Text Spacing, 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures, 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation, 2.5.5 Target Size, 4.1.3 Status Messages, and others.
Does WCAG 2.1 cover mobile apps?
WCAG applies to web content. The principles transfer to mobile but the operative mobile standard is captured in EN 301 549 sections 11 (software) and 10 (non-web documents).
Does WCAG 2.1 supersede WCAG 2.0?
WCAG 2.0 remains a W3C Recommendation. 2.1 is recommended for new work. Legal references to 2.0 in older statutes still apply where not updated.
Get an WCAG 2.1-grade audit. In hours.
IAAP-format report. AccessivePath maps findings to WCAG 2.1 and every related standard simultaneously.
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