Accessibility
WCAG Review
A practical UX method for assessing products against defined WCAG criteria and identifying measurable accessibility compliance gaps.
How to run a WCAG review to evaluate compliance, document gaps, and prioritise accessibility remediation.
What it is
A glossaryWCAGWCAG is a set of guidelines for making digital content accessible to people with disabilities.Open glossary term review is a UX method used to assess how well a product meets the Web Content serviceAccessibilityFind accessibility issues early, improve usability, and build products that are more inclusive, usable, and compliant.Open service Guidelines (WCAG).
It involves evaluating glossaryInterfaceAn interface is the point of interaction between a user and a system, where inputs are made and outputs are received. It can be visual, physical, or conversational.Open glossary term, content, and glossaryInteractionInteraction refers to any action a user takes within a product and how the system responds. It includes clicks, taps, gestures, and inputs that drive the user experience.Open glossary term against specific criteria defined in the glossaryWCAGWCAG is a set of guidelines for making digital content accessible to people with disabilities.Open glossary term framework.
These guidelines cover areas such as perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness.
The review identifies where the product meets or fails to meet compliance levels such as glossaryWCAGWCAG is a set of guidelines for making digital content accessible to people with disabilities.Open glossary term 2.1 AA.
It combines manual testing and tooling to assess both technical compliance and real glossaryUsabilityUsability is how easy and efficient it is for users to complete tasks within a product. It focuses on clarity, simplicity, and reducing effort so users can achieve their goals without confusion or friction.Open glossary term.
The focus is on measurable standards and clear pass or fail criteria.
The goal is to ensure serviceAccessibilityFind accessibility issues early, improve usability, and build products that are more inclusive, usable, and compliant.Open service requirements are met and to highlight what needs fixing.
A strong WCAG review balances strict criteria checks with practical usability impact for real users.
When to use it
Use this method when compliance is required or expected.
It is most useful when:
It is less useful when:
WCAG reviews are often used alongside accessibility audits.
Key takeaway
Run a WCAG review when you need explicit evidence of compliance status against recognised criteria.
How to run it
Set up properly
Fix the scope before you start: which glossaryWCAGWCAG is a set of guidelines for making digital content accessible to people with disabilities.Open glossary term glossaryVersionA version is a specific iteration of software or a product at a point in time.Open glossary term and level you are reviewing against, and which pages, flows and components are included. A review without a stated level produces findings nobody can act on.
Cover whole journeys rather than representative pages. Conformance is claimed for a path through the product, not for a screenshot of it.
Run the method
glossaryWCAGWCAG is a set of guidelines for making digital content accessible to people with disabilities.Open glossary term reviews are structured and criteria-based. Unlike a broader audit, the output is a pass or fail against a published standard, so the discipline is in resisting interpretation.
- Assess each element against the specific success criterion, and cite it. A finding without a criterion is an opinion wearing a standard's clothes.
- Test keyboard glossaryNavigationNavigation is the system of menus, links, and cues that lets people move through a product and reach what they need. It exposes the underlying structure, and is how most users experience that structure.Open glossary term and focus states, including focus visibility and whether focus is ever trapped somewhere a keyboard cannot leave.
- Check glossaryScreen ReaderA screen reader is software that reads digital content aloud for users who cannot see the screen.Open glossary term compatibility on real assistive technology rather than inferring it from the markup.
- Review colour contrast and glossaryReadabilityReadability is how easily written content can be read and decoded, shaped by sentence length, vocabulary, structure, and typography. It measures the effort the text demands, not whether the meaning actually landed.Open glossary term against the thresholds for the level you are claiming, in every interactive state.
- Record pass, fail or not applicable against each criterion, with evidence. Silence on a criterion reads as untested, which is what it is.
Focus on the standard, not your interpretation of it. Where a criterion is genuinely ambiguous, say so and record the reading you applied.
Capture and make sense of it
The value comes from clear compliance glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term. After the review, document:
- Issues grouped by criterion, so gaps are visible at a glance
- Severity and user impact alongside the technical failure
- Which criteria are met, failed, and untested
- A remediation order that starts with blockers, not with easy wins
Use this to guide remediation. A glossaryWCAGWCAG is a set of guidelines for making digital content accessible to people with disabilities.Open glossary term review earns its keep when it becomes a work plan, not when it becomes a certificate.
What to look for
Focus on:
Where it goes wrong
Most issues come from:
If it’s only about passing, glossaryUsabilityUsability is how easy and efficient it is for users to complete tasks within a product. It focuses on clarity, simplicity, and reducing effort so users can achieve their goals without confusion or friction.Open glossary term suffers.
What you get from it
Done properly, this method gives you:
Key takeaway
It helps you meet recognised standards properly.
Get in touch
If this sounds like something you need, we can run a WCAG review and help you meet accessibility standards with confidence.
No guesswork. No assumptions. Just clear, compliant, usable design.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this method.
What is a WCAG review in UX?
It is a method for assessing compliance with accessibility standards.
When should you run a WCAG review?
Before launch, during audits, or when improving accessibility.
What does WCAG stand for?
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the W3C standard for making digital content usable by people with disabilities. It is organised under four principles, perceivable, operable, understandable and robust, with three conformance levels: A, AA and AAA. AA is the usual target.
Is it the same as an accessibility audit?
No. It focuses specifically on compliance criteria.
Does a WCAG review improve UX?
Yes. It ensures accessibility standards are properly met.
Quick take
If you need to know whether you meet accessibility standards, run a WCAG review.
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