Advancing Digital Accessibility at UL Lafayette
Digital Accessibility Requirements
WCAG 2.1 AA Overview

WCAG 2.1 AA Overview

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the internationally recognized technical standards that define what it means for digital content to be accessible. UL Lafayette is required to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA across all university digital properties.

What WCAG Is

WCAG 2.1 was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and is referenced in both Louisiana PPM-74 and the federal ADA Title II final rule as the binding technical standard for digital accessibility compliance. It applies to websites, online documents, multimedia, digital tools, and other web-accessible content.

WCAG is organized around four core principles. All digital content must be:

Principle	In plain language	What it means in practice
Perceivable	Everyone can receive the information	Content isn’t invisible to any user Images have text alternatives Videos have captions Content isn’t conveyed by color alone
Operable	Everyone can navigate and interact	All functionality works with a keyboard, not just a mouse. Users have enough time to complete tasks. Nothing flashes in a way that could trigger seizures.
Understandable	Everyone can comprehend the content	Language is clear Pages behave predictably Forms explain errors Users aren’t confused by unexpected behavior
Robust	Content works across technologies	Content is built to work with current and future assistive technologies, including: Screen readers Voice control software Refreshable Braille displays

Still not sure what all this means? Watch this 2-minute video overview: WCAG for beginners - What are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines?

Understanding Conformance Levels

WCAG has three conformance levels: A (minimum), AA (standard), and AAA (enhanced). UL Lafayette is required to meet Level AA, which builds on all Level A requirements.

Level	Requirement	What it means
A	Minimum	Addresses the most critical barriers. Required as a baseline.
AA	Standard (required for UL Lafayette)	Addresses the widest range of disabilities. Required by PPM-74 and federal rule.
AAA	Enhanced	Highest level. Not required, but aspirational for high-traffic or high-stakes content.

Key Level AA Requirements

The following are the most commonly encountered WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements for content creators at UL Lafayette. This is not an exhaustive list — see the Testing Tools & Checklists page for complete audit guidance.

Requirement	Applies to:	What you need to do
Text alternatives (alt text)	Images in websites Documents Email Social media	Every informational image must have descriptive alt text.
Keyboard navigation	Websites Web applications Digital forms	All functionality must work using only a keyboard with no mouse required. Applies to menus, forms, modals, and interactive components.
Color contrast — 4.5:1 minimum	All digital content with text	Body text must have at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio against its background. Large text (≥18px or 14px bold) requires at least 3:1.
Video captions	All video content	All pre-recorded videos must have accurate closed captions. Live-streamed events must have real-time captions.
Heading structure	Websites Documents Email	Use proper heading levels in sequence (H1 → H2 → H3). Never use bold text or font size to simulate headings.
Descriptive links	All digital content with hyperlinks	Link text must describe the destination or action — not ‘click here’, ‘learn more’, or a bare URL.
Form error identification	Online forms Digital applications	Forms must clearly identify errors, describe what went wrong, and suggest how to correct it.
Responsive design	Websites Web applications	Content must be usable at 320px width (mobile) and at 400% zoom without loss of content or functionality.
No content flashing more than 3x/sec	Videos Animations Digital signage	Rapidly flashing content can trigger seizures. Avoid or provide a warning and a way to disable.

Learn More

The following resources can help you go deeper with WCAG: