Mapping WCAG2 to project roles

General Overview

The table below lists the 61 Success Criteria for the W3C’s Web Content Authoring Guidelines, with links for each to the W3c page that describes that item in more detail. The other columns are for common roles in a development project, where it briefly describes the accessibility responsibility for that role for each Success Criteria. The first row describes the overall accessibility responsibility for each role. The last row gives the number of success criteria that each role has some responsibility for.

The Quality control column has no text as their responsibility will be the same for each Success Criteria: Design test scripts for each criteria that will find defects as early in project as possible; conduct testing; track defects and resolutions.

Every project is different, and there are numerous variations of how duties and responsibilities are assigned in different work places. Following the chart is a section that lists the roles and describes how they are used here.

Table 1 WCAG2 Success Criteria and project roles

Success Criteria (Level) / Analysis / Architecture / Content Strategy / Interaction Design / Usability / Graphics Design / Content Authoring / HTML/CSS Prototyping / Front-End Development / Back-End Development / Quality control /
General / Evaluate design and development tools, features, and platform components for their ability to support the requirements / Specify features and select tools and components that support the requirements / Ensure content creation, delivery, and governance mechanisms support the requirements. / Ensure keyboard and non-visual access requirements are included in all design and behavior decisions / Ensure needs for low-vision and colorblind users and users with cognitive issues are included in visual elements. / Ensure content is produced in appropriate formats and using correct semantic elements, and probably text for alternatives / Ensure prototypes incorporate accessibility requirements or include approximations for elements still being developed / Ensure code incorporates accessibility requirements as specified and identify any gaps. / Ensure provided code and content tools support the inclusion of accessibility requirements. Ensure proper timing of interactions with front-end calls. / Validate that accessibility tasks have been handled correctly in all planning, design, development, implementation, and maintenance phases.
1.1.1 (A)
Text Alternatives - Non-text Content / Establish guidelines for appropriate and effective use of imagery and text. / Identity decorative images / Author alternative text / Determine whether to use CSS or null alt; incorporate authored text / Determine whether to use CSS or null alt; incorporate authored text / Provide support for creating/editing alt text / X
1.2.1 (A)
Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) / Identify presentation mechanism / Establish guidelines for appropriate and effective use of audio and video content / Ensure operability of presentation mechanism / Edit scripts or create transcripts / Include presentation mechanism / Implement presentation mechanism / X
1.2.2 (A)
Captions (Prerecorded) / Identify presentation mechanism / Establish guidelines for creating caption files / Ensure operability of presentation mechanism / Edit script or create transcript; adjust timings / Include presentation mechanism / Implement presentation mechanism / Coordinate source files / X
1.2.3 (A)
Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) / Identify presentation mechanism / Establish guidelines for determining need for descriptions or alternatives / Ensure operability of presentation mechanism / Author description; adjust timings / Include presentation mechanism / Implement presentation mechanism / Coordinate source files / X
1.2.4 (AA)
Captions (Live) / Identify sources for live captioning services / Identify presentation mechanism / Ensure operability of presentation mechanism / Include presentation mechanism / Implement presentation mechanism / Coordinate source files / X
1.2.5 (AA)
Audio Description (Prerecorded) / Identify presentation mechanism / Establish guidelines for determining need for descriptions / Ensure operability of presentation mechanism / Author description; adjust timings / Include presentation mechanism / Implement presentation mechanism / Coordinate source files / X
1.2.6 (AAA)
Sign Language (Prerecorded) / Identify sources for sign language services / Identify presentation mechanism / Establish guidelines for determining need for sign language alternatives / Ensure operability of presentation mechanism / Include presentation mechanism / Implement presentation mechanism / Coordinate source files / X
1.2.7 (AAA)
Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded) / Identify presentation mechanism / Establish guidelines for determining need for descriptions / Ensure operability of presentation mechanism / Author description; adjust timings / Include presentation mechanism / Implement presentation mechanism / Coordinate source files / X
1.2.8 (AAA)
Media Alternative (Prerecorded) / Identify player to support / Establish guidelines for determining need for alternative media / Ensure operability of presentation mechanism / Design controls for accessing media alternative / Compile and edit text from transcripts and descriptions. / Include presentation mechanism / Implement presentation mechanism / Coordinate source files / X
1.2.9 (AAA)
Audio-only (Live) / Identify sources for live captioning services / Identify player to support / Ensure operability of presentation mechanism / Include presentation mechanism / Implement presentation mechanism / Coordinate source files / X
1.3.1 (A)
Info and Relationships / Establish layout technique to ensure reading order / Establish guidelines for using heading hierarchies, ARIA regions and other wayfinding semantic s / Specify heading hierarchies, ARIA regions and other wayfinding semantic s / Design visual elements that reflect semantic hierarchies / Author text for forms labels and table captions and headers. Use headings correctly. / Include semantic and layout markup. Ensure presentation and content are separated / Implement semantic and layout markup; ensure form input/label associations / Provide support for creating and editing forms and data tables and correct use of headings / X
1.3.2 (A)
Meaningful Sequence / Establish layout technique to ensure reading order / Specify layout flows to optimize reading and interaction flows / Design visual elements that reflect reading and interaction flows / Include layout markup. Ensure presentation and content are separated / Implement layout markup and correct tab order / X
1.3.3 (A)
Sensory Characteristics / Balance visual identification cues with text cues. Verify content does not rely solely on spatial coordinates. / Avoid use of visual only design elements / Author content that does not rely solely on spatial coordinates for user instructions. / Ensure spatial references are not affected by linearization of content / X
1.4.1 (A)
Use of Color / Ensure interactive and semantic elements are not indicated only by color / Ensure proper contrast levels (luminosity is not color) / Author content that does not use color alone to convey information / Include markup and CSS values for specified methods / Implement markup and CSS values for specified methods / Provide authoring tools that discourage poor use of color / X
1.4.2 (A)
Audio Control / Identify presentation mechanism / Include keyboard operable audio controls in specs / Design audio controls / Include keyboard operable tools for audio content / Implement keyboard operable tools for audio content / X
1.4.3 (AA)
Contrast (Minimum) / Specify palettes and other color choices that support luminosity values / Implement color choices that support luminosity values / Implement color choices that support luminosity values / X
1.4.4 (AA)
Resize text / Avoid specifying features that disable browser zoom; consider resizing widgets / Plan for re-sized text / Avoid techniques that disable browser zoom; implement specified re-sizing widgets / Avoid techniques that disable browser zoom; implement specified re-sizing widgets / X
1.4.5 (AA)
Images of Text / Validate need for images of text / Establish guidelines for appropriate and inappropriate use of images of text / Specify fonts rather than images for text display / Implement graphic requirements / Implement graphic requirements / X
1.4.6 (AAA)
Contrast (Enhanced) / Specify palettes and other color choices that support luminosity values / Include color choices that support luminosity values / Implement color choices that support luminosity values / X
1.4.7 (AAA)
Low or No Background Audio
(pre-recorded audio only) / Validate need for background audio / Determine mechanism for controlling background audio / Specify controls for controlling background audio / Design controls for controlling background audio / Include controls for controlling background audio / Implement controls for controlling background audio / Coordinate source files / X
1.4.8 (AAA)
Visual Presentation / Specify text display requirements and color selection controls / Design controls for display and color selections / Implement text display requirements and color selection controls / Implement text display requirements and color selection controls / X
1.4.9 (AAA)
Images of Text (No Exception) / Validate need for images of text / Establish guidelines for appropriate and inappropriate use of images of text / Specify fonts rather than images for text display / Implement graphic requirements / Implement graphic requirements / X
2.1.1 (A)
Keyboard / Ensure script libraries and plugins have keyboard-only support / Plan for keyboard-only interaction / Include keyboard-only interaction elements in design / Do not introduce content techniques that bypass standard keyboard controls / Ensure keyboard access to all interactive elements / Ensure keyboard access to all interactive elements / X
2.1.2 (A)
No Keyboard Trap / Ensure script libraries and plugins have keyboard-only support / Do not introduce content techniques that bypass standard keyboard controls / Ensure keyboard access to all interactive elements / Ensure keyboard access to all interactive elements / X
2.1.3 (AAA)
Keyboard (No Exception) / Ensure script libraries and plugins have keyboard-only support / Plan for keyboard-only interaction / Include keyboard-only interaction elements in design / Do not introduce content techniques that bypass standard keyboard controls / Ensure keyboard access to all interactive elements / Ensure keyboard access to all interactive elements / X
2.2.1 (A)
Timing Adjustable / Validate need for and length of timed interactions and sessions / Include interactions for adjusting timing / Include elements for adjusting timing / Include elements for adjusting timing / Implement scripting and elements to support timing controls / Implement only required time limits on interactions and sessions. Ensure user control of timing is passed correctly. / X
2.2.2 (A)
Pause, Stop, Hide / Validate need for moving content / Determine mechanism for controlling motion / Validate need for moving content / Specify controls for controlling motion / Design controls for controlling motion / Include motion controls and ensure updated information is available to AT / Implement controls; ensure updated information is available to AT / X
2.2.3 (AAA)
No Timing / Do not introduce interface components that require timing. / Do not introduce content components that require timing. / Do not introduce components that require timing. / Do not introduce components that require timing. / Do not introduce components that require timing. / X
2.2.4 (AAA)
Interruptions / Validate need for updates not initiated by the user / Determine mechanism for controlling updates / Specify controls for controlling updates / Design controls for controlling updates / Implement controls for controlling updates / Implement controls for controlling updates / X
2.2.5 (AAA)
Re-authenticating / Validate need for timed sessions / Include re-authentication workflows / Design re-authentication screens / Ensure user is returned to page and location after re-authentication / Do not introduce barriers to allowing users to be returned to page and location after re-authentication / X
2.3.1 (A)
Three Flashes or Below Threshold / Validate need for flashing content / Avoid use of components that flash / Ensure components that flash are below the general and red flash thresholds / Include components that flash according to requirements / Implement components that flash according to requirements / X
2.3.2 (AAA)
Three Flashes / Validate need for flashing content / Avoid use of components that flash / Ensure components flash less than 3 times per second / Include components that flash according to requirements / Implement components that flash according to requirements / X
2.4.1 (A)
Bypass Blocks / Specifiy semantic heading use / Select methods for bypassing repeated content / Include keyboard controls as needed / Use headings semantically / Implement semantic and layout markup. Ensure bypass features are functional / Implement semantic and layout markup. Ensure bypass features are functional / X
2.4.2 (A)
Page Titled / Ensure technology supports the use of page specific titles / Determine naming conventions to ensure meaningful titles / Use naming convention to ensure meaningful titles / Implement page specific titles / Implement page specific titles / Provide information need to generate meaningful page titles / X
2.4.3 (A)
Focus Order / Specify logical flow for both sighted and non-sighted users. / Avoid use of layout mark-up that can disrupt the focus order / Use layout markup that will ensure logical focus order is preserved and use tabindex for any deviations / Implement layout markup that will ensure logical focus order is preserved and use tabindex for any deviations / X
2.4.4 (A)
Link Purpose (In Context) / Identify methods to ensure link purpose can be adequately expressed / Provide guidance on correct link text authoring / Ensure link interactions include a way to express link purpose / Provide link and/or associated text to express link purpose / Use mark-up that will adequately associate link with its purpose / Implement mark-up that will adequately associate link with its purpose / X
2.4.5 (AA)
Multiple Ways [site navigation] / Identify options for providing multiple navigation approaches / Specify multiple navigation paths / Design multiple navigation paths / Design visually clear navigation paths / Include navigation design elements / Implement navigation elements / Provide back-end support for alternate navigation, such as site search / X
2.4.6 (AA)
Headings and Labels / Provide guidance for authoring meaningful headings and labels / Specify text for meaningful headings and labels / Provide text for meaningful headings and labels / Include meaningful headings and labels / Implement meaningful headings and labels / X
2.4.7 (AA)
Focus Visible / Specify characteristics or behavior to indicate focus / Include effects for indicating focus / Include visual and behavioral effects to indicate focus / Implement visual and behavioral effects to indicate focus / X
2.4.8 (AAA)
Location / Identify methods to indicate location within a site / Include methods to indicate location within a site / Include effects for indicating location within a site / Include location indicators / Implement location indicators / X