Do I need to meet the full WCAG 2.1 AA?

For the purposes of your national law implementing the EAA, conformance is expected via EN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA. The goal is therefore to meet WCAG 2.1 AA as a whole. An exception may apply where compliance would impose a disproportionate burden — we recommend consulting a lawyer for a specific assessment.

How does WCAG differ from the law?

WCAG is a technical standard published by W3C — an international consortium. Your national law implements the EAA and references EN 301 549, which adopts WCAG. WCAG itself is not legally binding.

What does level AA mean?

The intermediate level of WCAG accessibility. Level A covers basic requirements, AAA is the highest (and not required by law). Your national law implementing the EAA expects conformance at level AA.

WCAG 2.1 AA: what the standard means and how it relates to the law

What is WCAG

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) are international web accessibility guidelines published by the W3C consortium. Version 2.1 AA is the standard referenced by EN 301 549 and your national law implementing the EAA. It defines three levels: A (basic), AA (intermediate, required by law) and AAA (highest, not legally required).

The four WCAG principles (POUR)

Perceivable

Information and user interface components must be presented in ways users can perceive. Example: alt text for images — a user with visual impairment hears a description instead of silence.

Operable

Controls and navigation must be usable without a mouse. Example: an entire e-shop must be operable via keyboard (Tab, Enter, arrow keys) — for users with motor disabilities.

Understandable

Content and operation must be understandable. Example: an error message "Invalid input" is not enough — it must say "Enter an email in the format name@domain.com".

Robust

Content must be compatible with assistive technologies (screen readers, switch access). Example: a button must have the role "button" and an accessible name so a screen reader announces it correctly.

How WCAG feeds into your national law

Your national legislation implementing the EAA does not cite WCAG directly. It references the harmonised standard EN 301 549, which adopts WCAG 2.1 AA as its technical basis. The hierarchy is: law → EN 301 549 → WCAG 2.1 AA.

Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA is the practical path to satisfying the standard's requirements and therefore the law. WCAG itself is not legally binding — the law is.

What can be checked automatically

Automated tools (including Inkluzo) can cover approximately 30–50% of WCAG 2.1 AA criteria. Automatically detectable issues include:

Missing image alt texts (criterion 1.1.1)
Insufficient colour contrast (criterion 1.4.3)
Missing form field labels
Incorrect heading structure
Missing page language

What automation cannot detect:

Clarity and readability of text
Logical content sequence
Adequacy of alt texts (correct format yes, meaningful content no)
Behaviour with real assistive technologies

The most important criteria for e-shops

1.1.1 Non-text content (A): Alt texts for all functional images
1.4.3 Contrast (AA): Minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text
2.1.1 Keyboard (A): All functionality accessible via keyboard
3.3.1 Error identification (A): Form error messages clearly identify the problem
4.1.2 Name, role, value (A): All interactive elements have a programmatically determined name and role

Automated accessibility checking (such as this on Inkluzo) covers approximately 30–50% of WCAG 2.1 AA rules. It checks machine-detectable errors — alternative texts, contrast, heading and form structure, ARIA attributes. The remaining 50–70% of criteria require manual assessment: text comprehensibility, logical focus order, meaningfulness of alternative texts, real keyboard control.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to meet the full WCAG 2.1 AA?: For the purposes of your national law implementing the EAA, conformance is expected via EN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA. The goal is therefore to meet WCAG 2.1 AA as a whole. An exception may apply where compliance would impose a disproportionate burden — we recommend consulting a lawyer for a specific assessment.
How does WCAG differ from the law?: WCAG is a technical standard published by W3C — an international consortium. Your national law implements the EAA and references EN 301 549, which adopts WCAG. WCAG itself is not legally binding.
What does level AA mean?: The intermediate level of WCAG accessibility. Level A covers basic requirements, AAA is the highest (and not required by law). Your national law implementing the EAA expects conformance at level AA.

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