WCAG requirements are organized into three levels of conformance: A, AA, and AAA. Each one builds on the previous. Here is what they mean in practice, and what we actually target when we build a site.
Level A: The Floor, Not the Goal
Level A is the bare minimum. If your site does not meet Level A, it has barriers that prevent some people from using it at all. This is where lawsuits happen.
Level A requirements include things like:
All images have alt text. Videos have captions. Your site can be navigated using a keyboard. Pages have descriptive titles. Links make sense on their own ("Learn more about our services" instead of just "Click here").
These are not stretch goals. These are table stakes. If your website fails Level A, someone using a screen reader or keyboard cannot complete basic tasks on your site. Melissa works with people in her OT practice who hit these walls every day. A button that does not respond to keyboard input is not a minor oversight. It is a locked door.
Level AA: Where We Build
Level AA is the standard that matters. It is what most laws and regulations require. It is what courts expect from private businesses. It is the level the Department of Justice references in its rules for government websites.
Level AA requirements include:
Color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text. Text that can be resized up to 200% without breaking the layout. Accurate, synchronized captions (not just auto generated). Consistent navigation across the site. Multiple ways to find pages, like search, a site map, or clear menus.
Every site we build targets Level AA from the first commit. Not as a retrofit. Not as a phase two add on. From the first line of code, Tyler is writing semantic HTML, setting up proper heading hierarchy, building keyboard navigation into every interactive element, and testing color contrast across every component.
We do not claim to "meet" or "conform to" WCAG. That language implies a certification that does not exist in any meaningful way (and anyone who tells you their overlay widget achieves it is lying). What we do say is that we build with accessibility as a priority from the ground up, targeting Level AA criteria across every page.
Level AAA: Aspirational, Not Practical
Level AAA is the highest level. It includes requirements like:
Color contrast ratio of at least 7:1. Sign language interpretation for all video content. Reading level at lower secondary education level. No timing limits at all, not even with extensions.
Here is the honest take: full Level AAA conformance across an entire website is rare and often impractical. Some of these requirements conflict with each other or are extremely difficult to apply to all types of content.
We will absolutely implement AAA criteria where it makes sense. Higher contrast ratios, simpler language, more generous timing. But we are not going to tell you that your plumbing company website needs sign language interpretation on every video. That is not practical advice. That is someone trying to scare you into buying something.
What This Means for Your Business
We build to AA. That is the standard that covers the real barriers, the ones that actually prevent people from using your site. It is what courts reference, what the DOJ requires of government sites, and what puts you ahead of 96% of websites on the internet.
The Regulation You Should Know About
In April 2024, the Department of Justice issued rules requiring state and local government websites to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA:
Larger entities with 50,000 or more residents have an April 2026 deadline. Smaller entities have until April 2027.
This specifically targets government, but the ripple effects matter. Courts continue to apply ADA requirements to private business websites. The direction is clear: accessibility is becoming the standard expectation, not an optional upgrade.
The Practical Takeaway
You do not need to chase AAA perfection. You do need a website that meets Level AA criteria and is built with real accessibility baked into the code. Not an overlay. Not a plugin. Not a badge on your footer that means nothing.
If you want to know where your site stands, we check it for accessibility. We have yet to find a site that does not have issues. The good news is that when you build from scratch with the right foundation, most of these problems never exist in the first place.