A simple definition
WCAG stands for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines — an international standard for making digital content usable by people of all abilities. They're developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) through its Web Accessibility Initiative.
WCAG 2.0 was published in 2008 and remains the baseline reference for accessible web content in Australia. Later versions (2.1 and 2.2) extend it for mobile and cognitive needs, but the core principles are unchanged.
Why it matters — particularly in education
Roughly one in five Australians lives with some form of disability. For students, that figure shapes everything from how they read a screen to how they navigate a learning platform.
When a school's digital tools aren't accessible, the consequences aren't abstract. A student who can't operate a keyboard misses interactive lessons. A student with low vision can't read a poorly contrasted slide. A student using assistive technology bounces off a form that wasn't built to support it.
Accessibility isn't a feature added at the end. It's a foundational design decision — and one that aligns directly with our broader mission. Just as we extend the useful life of hardware so more students can access it, accessibility extends the reach of digital content so more students can use it.
The four principles
WCAG 2.0 is built on four principles, often referred to by the acronym POUR. Content should be:
P
Perceivable
Information and interface elements must be presentable in ways users can perceive — text alternatives for images, captions for video, sufficient contrast, and content that doesn't depend on a single sense.
O
Operable
Interface elements and navigation must be operable by everyone — not just mouse users. Keyboard accessibility, enough time to read and use content, and predictable navigation all fall under this principle.
U
Understandable
Content and interface behaviour must be understandable. Text should be readable, pages should behave predictably, and forms should help users avoid and recover from mistakes.
R
Robust
Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide range of user agents — including assistive technologies. Today's accessible site should still be accessible on tomorrow's screen reader.
Three levels of conformance
WCAG defines three levels of compliance:
The minimum
Content meets the most basic accessibility requirements.
The standard
The widely accepted standard for public-facing websites, including Australian government and education.
The most rigorous
Appropriate for specialist accessibility content but often impractical for general websites.
Most Australian organisations aim for Level AA conformance against WCAG 2.0 or 2.1.
How we apply it on diged.au
This website is built to conform to WCAG 2.0 standards. In practical terms, that means we work to:
- Provide meaningful alternative text for images
- Maintain sufficient colour contrast between text and background
- Structure pages with proper headings so screen readers can navigate
- Ensure all interactive elements are reachable by keyboard
- Use clear, plain language wherever possible
- Avoid layouts that rely on colour alone to convey meaning
- Test the site with assistive technology where practical
Accessibility is an ongoing commitment rather than a one-off checkbox. If you encounter something on this site that isn't working for you — whether you use a screen reader, navigate by keyboard, or simply find a page confusing — please let us know. Feedback from real users is the best way to keep improving.
The legal and ethical context
In Australia, accessibility is supported by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), which has been interpreted to apply to digital services as well as physical ones. The Australian Government's Digital Service Standard and many state education departments require WCAG 2.0 Level AA compliance for public-facing digital content.
But the strongest argument for accessibility isn't legal. It's that the web — and especially educational technology — should reach the widest possible audience. Building accessibly is part of building well.
Learn more
For the full specification and explanatory material, visit:
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
- WCAG 2.0 at a Glance
- Australian Human Rights Commission — World Wide Web Access
Getting in touch
If you have feedback on the accessibility of this site, or you'd like to talk about accessibility in your own ICT environment:
PO Box 2420, Canberra ACT 2601