How to Learn WCAG: Cam Coulter

You can’t learn WCAG in an hour, but you can learn how to learn WCAG in an hour.

WCAG 2.x is important because it is the standard for website accessibility (other standards like Section 508 and EN 301 549 incorporate WCAG), but it is technical, complicated, and can be challenging to learn, so many people don’t understand it as well as they need to or would like to.

In this presentation, Cam will provide foundational context about WCAG and explain how to slowly and seriously learn WCAG like a professional. We’ll touch on WCAG in Plain English resources, the official Understanding and Technique docs, learning HTML/CSS/JavaScript/ARIA, getting experience testing and auditing (perhaps including WCAG-EM), using professional forums, and getting certified.

At the end, we can briefly touch on WCAG 3, and we’ll also point out how to check the WCAG references raised in the Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker plug-in.

After the presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe WCAG at a high level (including principles, success criteria, levels of conformance, and conformance requirements).
• Recognize the differences between normative and informative content and between official and unofficial documents.
• Identify the technical skills that underwrite WCAG and how to develop them.
• Explain how to gain experience using and interpreting WCAG and where to seek out professional guidance.