Accessibility responsibility breakdown (WCAG 2.0)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 offer sixty one (61) success criteria incorporating best practices for promoting content accessibility for persons with disabilities. These success criteria affect all phases of a Web site project. The responsibilities associated with them must be assigned to the various individuals involved to ensure the success of the content accessibility project. This is especially true in the context of conformance obligations if such obligations are in place in your organization.

Distribution by Web function

All of the WCAG 2.0 success criteria can be found under the twelve (12) accessibility guidelines. They have been allocated to the nine (9) generally accepted links in a Web page production chain. These traditional links are:

Project management

For the purposes of this distribution, the project management function includes the tasks normally associated with production planning and the various related monitoring activities.

In an accessibility context, the project manager’s responsibilities consist of ensuring optimization of the production chain by:

  • Integrating the transversality concept
  • Planning accessibility at each step
  • Allocation of accessibility responsibilities
  • Ensuring the technical and functional criteria
  • Distinguishing between accessibility and conformance
  • Being aware of the limitations of the tools
  • Assessing the impact of technology platforms

For more information on the factors to consider to achieve the accessibility objectives from the project leader’s perspective, consult the article "Planning accessibility".

Analysis: 9 success criteria

For the purpose of this distribution, the analysis function covers the tasks normally associated with analysis of the project’s strategic orientations, analysis of the options for technology platforms, or functional analysis of Web interfaces.

Level Criteria Detail
A 2 Success Criterion 3.2.1 and Success Criterion 3.3.1.
AA 2 Success Criterion 3.3.3 and Success Criterion 3.3.4.
AAA 5 Success Criterion 2.2.3, Success Criterion 2.2.4, Success Criterion 2.2.5, Success Criterion 3.3.5 and Success Criterion 3.3.6.

Architecture: 9 success criteria

For the purposes of this distribution, the architecture function covers the tasks normally associated with the architecture of the information (Web content) and the architecture of the data.

Level Criteria Detail
A 2 Success Criterion 1.3.1 and Success Criterion 2.4.2.
AA 3 Success Criterion 2.4.5, Success Criterion 2.4.6 and Success Criterion 3.1.2.
AAA 4 Success Criterion 2.4.8, Success Criterion 2.4.10, Success Criterion 3.1.3 and Success Criterion 3.1.4.

Editing: 21 success criteria

For the purposes of this distribution, the editing function covers the tasks normally associated with producing the site’s text content, equivalent alternative content, and content other than the main content of the pages.

Level Criteria Detail
A 11 Success Criterion 1.1.1, Success Criterion 1.2.1, Success Criterion 1.2.2, Success Criterion 1.2.3, Success Criterion 1.3.1, Success Criterion 1.3.3, Success Criterion 2.1.1, Success Criterion 2.1.2, Success Criterion 2.4.2, Success Criterion 2.4.4 and Success Criterion 3.3.1.
AA 3 Success Criterion 1.2.5, Success Criterion 2.4.6 and Success Criterion 3.1.2.
AAA 7 Success Criterion 1.2.7, Success Criterion 1.2.8, Success Criterion 2.4.9, Success Criterion 3.1.3, Success Criterion 3.1.4, Success Criterion 3.1.5 and Success Criterion 3.1.6.

Development: 59 success criteria

For the purposes of this distribution, the development function covers the tasks normally associated with the development of contribution tools, HTML and CSS integration, and the programming of proposed scripts and applications on the Web site.

Level Criteria Detail
A 24 Success Criterion 1.1.1, Success Criterion 1.2.1, Success Criterion 1.2.2, Success Criterion 1.2.3, Success Criterion 1.2.4, Success Criterion 1.2.5, Success Criterion 1.2.6, Success Criterion 1.2.7, Success Criterion 1.2.8, Success Criterion 1.2.9, Success Criterion 1.3.1, Success Criterion 1.3.2, Success Criterion 1.3.3, Success Criterion 1.4.2, Success Criterion 1.4.3, Success Criterion 1.4.4, Success Criterion 1.4.5, Success Criterion 1.4.6, Success Criterion 1.4.7, Success Criterion 1.4.8, Success Criterion 1.4.9, Success Criterion 2.1.1, Success Criterion 2.1.2 and Success Criterion 2.1.3.
AA 13 Success Criterion 2.2.1, Success Criterion 2.2.2, Success Criterion 2.2.3, Success Criterion 2.2.4, Success Criterion 2.2.5, Success Criterion 2.3.1, Success Criterion 2.3.2, Success Criterion 2.4.1, Success Criterion 2.4.2, Success Criterion 2.4.3, Success Criterion 2.4.4, Success Criterion 2.4.5 and Success Criterion 2.4.6.
AAA 22 Success Criterion 2.4.7, Success Criterion 2.4.8, Success Criterion 2.4.9, Success Criterion 2.4.10, Success Criterion 3.1.1, Success Criterion 3.1.2, Success Criterion 3.1.3, Success Criterion 3.1.4, Success Criterion 3.1.6, Success Criterion 3.2.1, Success Criterion 3.2.2, Success Criterion 3.2.3, Success Criterion 3.2.4, Success Criterion 3.2.5, Success Criterion 3.3.1, Success Criterion 3.3.2, Success Criterion 3.3.3, Success Criterion 3.3.4, Success Criterion 3.3.5, Success Criterion 3.3.6, Success Criterion 4.1.1 and Success Criterion 4.1.2.

Quality control: 61 success criteria

For the purpose of this distribution, the quality control function covers the tasks normally associated with verifications at the end of the project.

Level Criteria Detail
A 25 Success Criterion 1.1.1, Success Criterion 1.2.1, Success Criterion 1.2.2, Success Criterion 1.2.3, Success Criterion 1.2.4, Success Criterion 1.2.5, Success Criterion 1.2.6, Success Criterion 1.2.7, Success Criterion 1.2.8, Success Criterion 1.2.9, Success Criterion 1.3.1, Success Criterion 1.3.2, Success Criterion 1.3.3, Success Criterion 1.4.1, Success Criterion 1.4.2, Success Criterion 1.4.3, Success Criterion 1.4.4, Success Criterion 1.4.5, Success Criterion 1.4.6, Success Criterion 1.4.7, Success Criterion 1.4.8, Success Criterion 1.4.9, Success Criterion 2.1.1, Success Criterion 2.1.2 and Success Criterion 2.1.3.
AA 13 Success Criterion 2.2.1, Success Criterion 2.2.2, Success Criterion 2.2.3, Success Criterion 2.2.4, Success Criterion 2.2.5, Success Criterion 2.3.1, Success Criterion 2.3.2, Success Criterion 2.4.1, Success Criterion 2.4.2, Success Criterion 2.4.3, Success Criterion 2.4.4, Success Criterion 2.4.5 and Success Criterion 2.4.6.
AAA 23 Success Criterion 2.4.7, Success Criterion 2.4.8, Success Criterion 2.4.9, Success Criterion 2.4.10, Success Criterion 3.1.1, Success Criterion 3.1.2, Success Criterion 3.1.3, Success Criterion 3.1.4, Success Criterion 3.1.5, Success Criterion 3.1.6, Success Criterion 3.2.1, Success Criterion 3.2.2, Success Criterion 3.2.3, Success Criterion 3.2.4, Success Criterion 3.2.5, Success Criterion 3.3.1, Success Criterion 3.3.2, Success Criterion 3.3.3, Success Criterion 3.3.4, Success Criterion 3.3.5, Success Criterion 3.3.6, Success Criterion 4.1.1 and Success Criterion 4.1.2.

Summary table of WCAG 2.0 distribution

Success criteria Level Production chain phase
Analysis Architecture Interaction design Graphic design Prototyping Editing Development Quality control
Success Criterion 1.1.1 A X X X X
Success Criterion 1.2.1 A X X X
Success Criterion 1.2.2 A X X X
Success Criterion 1.2.3 A X X X
Success Criterion 1.2.4 AA X X
Success Criterion 1.2.5 AA X X X
Success Criterion 1.2.6 AAA X X
Success Criterion 1.2.7 AAA X X X
Success Criterion 1.2.8 AAA X X X
Success Criterion 1.2.9 AAA X X
Success Criterion 1.3.1 A X X X X X X X
Success Criterion 1.3.2 A X X X
Success Criterion 1.3.3 A X X X X X
Success Criterion 1.4.1 A X X X
Success Criterion 1.4.2 A X X X X
Success Criterion 1.4.3 AA X X X X
Success Criterion 1.4.4 AA X X X X X
Success Criterion 1.4.5 AA X X X X
Success Criterion 1.4.6 AAA X X X X
Success Criterion 1.4.7 AAA X X X X
Success Criterion 1.4.8 AAA X X X X
Success Criterion 1.4.9 AAA X X X
Success Criterion 2.1.1 A X X X X X X
Success Criterion 2.1.2 A X X X X X X
Success Criterion 2.1.3 AAA X X X X
Success Criterion 2.2.1 A X X X
Success Criterion 2.2.2 A X X X X
Success Criterion 2.2.3 AAA X X X X X
Success Criterion 2.2.4 AAA X X X X X
Success Criterion 2.2.5 AAA X X X X
Success Criterion 2.3.1 A X X X X
Success Criterion 2.3.2 AAA X X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.1 A X X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.2 A X X X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.3 A X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.4 A X X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.5 AA X X X X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.6 AA X X X X X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.7 AA X X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.8 AAA X X X X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.9 AAA X X X X
Success Criterion 2.4.10 AAA X X X X
Success Criterion 3.1.1 A X X X
Success Criterion 3.1.2 AA X X X X
Success Criterion 3.1.3 AAA X X X X X X
Success Criterion 3.1.4 AAA X X X X
Success Criterion 3.1.5 AAA X X X
Success Criterion 3.1.6 AAA X X X
Success Criterion 3.2.1 A X X X X X
Success Criterion 3.2.2 A X X X
Success Criterion 3.2.3 AA X X X X
Success Criterion 3.2.4 AA X X X X X
Success Criterion 3.2.5 AAA X X X X X
Success Criterion 3.3.1 A X X X X X X
Success Criterion 3.3.2 A X X X X X
Success Criterion 3.3.3 AA X X X X X
Success Criterion 3.3.4 AA X X X X
Success Criterion 3.3.5 AAA X X X X X
Success Criterion 3.3.6 AAA X X X X X
Success Criterion 4.1.1 A X X X
Success Criterion 4.1.2 A X X X X

Note: This breakdown offers a vision that may not correspond exactly to the reality of your own production chain and therefore you should adapt it as required.

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