Designing an Accessible Future
Writeup of my talk at WDC, applying the principles of WCAG 3.0 to some current visions of the future.
Advice here is current at the time of writing but the WCAG 3.0 draft is evolving. Check the latest version.
If you prefer to read, here’s the text 👇
As an industry, we measure accessibility using WCAG – the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. There’s a huge update on the horizon: WCAG 3.0, which is proposing a radical change to the way we test and measure accessibility.
I used this talk to dig into the draft to explore what the future of accessibility might look like, and how we can get ahead of it now.
They’re saying it’ll be at least five years before WCAG 3.0 rolls out – so what will the internet look like by then?
So… what’s wrong with WCAG 2.x?
The Silver Community Group identified key issues with WCAG 2.x:
☞ Usability
It reads like a legal document. It’s daunting for beginners and hard to sell to stakeholders.
☞ Conformance model
It’s binary: pass or fail. But humans don’t always fit into neat boxes.
☞ Maintenance
WCAG 2.0 was published in 2008 — the year the first iPhone launched.
Read the problem statements.
What’s new in WCAG 3.0?
- Easier to read and understand
- Covers a broader range of disabilities
- Designed to evolve with technology
- Focuses on real-world accessibility, not just box-ticking
More on the WCAG 3.0 goals.
Key changes
Guidelines
Example guidelines include functional categories, critical errors, and rating scales.
How-to guide
How-to docs explain why something matters and how to implement and test it using methods.
Critical errors
Defined per guideline. For example, missing alt text that prevents task completion is a critical error. You can’t pass if you have any critical errors.
Testing
Two types proposed:
- Atomic tests: automated checks.
- Holistic tests: usability testing with assistive tech.
Conformance levels
- Instead of A/AA/AAA, it’s Bronze, Silver, Gold.
- To score Silver or Gold, you’ll need holistic testing.
Terms comparison
| WCAG 2.x | WCAG 3.0 |
|---|---|
| Non-interference | Critical errors |
| Success Criteria | Outcomes |
| Techniques | Methods |
| Understanding | How to |
| Level A, AA, AAA | Bronze, Silver, Gold |
Putting it all together
Adapted from the WCAG 3.0 explainer
Other notable changes
User-generated content
First mention of social media, uploads, etc.
Clear Words
Plain language for people with cognitive disabilities.
Improved colour contrast
WCAG 3.0 introduces APCA, a perceptual contrast measure.
Sometimes the option that passes is harder to read!
Key takeaways:
- New scale: 0–100
- Accounts for type size/weight
- Context-aware (foreground/background)
📖 Dan Hollick’s APCA explainer
Thinking ahead: Web3
What will the web look like in five years?
“Who’s heard of Web3?”
All hands go up.
“Who understands it?”
All hands go down.
Web3 is full of promise — open, inclusive, decentralised. But in reality? It’s complex, opaque, full of jargon and acronyms:
So many unfamiliar terms.
🔗 What is Web3? – Harvard Business Review
Even Web3’s creators admit it’s inaccessible. In this Wired interview, Gavin Wood suggests people should “bother educating themselves.”
I did — it took me 20 hours.
Web3 has a serious accessibility problem
“Clear Words” would score Web3 a 0.
There are financial, cognitive, and technical barriers. The crypto space is dominated by white men. According to Forbes, every crypto billionaire in 2021 was male; most went to elite universities.
The NFT market wasn’t much better — 55% of revenue went to just 16 artists.
We have a chance to course-correct. Let’s build something better.
Humanity Centred Design
Donald Norman is moving from Human Centred to Humanity Centred Design in his upcoming book, Design for a Better World.
Principles:
- Solve root problems
- Think ecosystem-wide
- Take the long view
- Test with the community
- Design with—not for—people
Accessibility and inclusion fits right into this.
Read more:
Is an accessible future one without screens?
Voice and gesture interfaces can bypass barriers.
Without screens, there’s no colour contrast to worry about — everything becomes UX, content and journey.
Get a headstart on WCAG 3.0
Watch the draft evolve
Follow updates from Deque
Prioritise critical errors
See WCAG explainer
Test with disabled users
To score Silver or Gold, you’ll need holistic testing
Use awareness days
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a great moment to rally teams
Learn from disabled people
Follow their blogs and social channels. Search YouTube for screen reader demos.
Most importantly… prioritise accessibility
Automated testing gets you 59% there. Don’t aim for perfect — aim for progress.
As people building the internet, you have power. Whether our future is decentralised or dystopian, every improvement counts.
Quote from Sheri Byrne-Haber – photo by Josh Tumath
You are the internet makers. That comes with responsibility. Make it accessible.
Links from this talk
☞ Official W3C
☞ WCAG 3 Blogs
☞ Web3
☞ Colour
☞ Humanity Centred Design
☞ Voice and screenless UI
📖 Slides from the talk Feel free to reuse ❤️