What WCAG 3.0 will bring
Today I'd like to give an outlook on WCAG 3 – the anticipated next version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. We are still in the early stages, so this post is based on preliminary assumptions.
What is the WCAG?
The WCAG forms the international basis for almost all national guidelines on digital accessibility. It is developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
The current version is 2.2, which was published in 2023. The next major revision will be WCAG 3.
A brief look back shows how long such development processes take: The first version of WCAG was published around the year 2000. WCAG 2 followed in 2008 – a fundamental redesign at the time, because the web had changed dramatically from a technical standpoint. The original version simply could no longer meet the new requirements. When WCAG 2 was developed, the internet was still largely static. While there were early web-based applications like Google Docs, they were still an exception. Smartphones were also not yet widespread.
WCAG 2.1 finally added topics such as touchscreens, mobile applications, and, to some extent, cognitive impairments – albeit only to a limited degree. WCAG 2.2 expanded the existing framework somewhat, but the basic concept remained unchanged.
Why WCAG 3?
For some time now, the W3C has been working on WCAG 3, which will fundamentally change many things. The previous concept of WCAG 2.x proved to be too complex and inflexible in practice. The goal of the new version is to adapt the guidelines to today's digital diversity.
The name itself reflects this realignment: The new guidelines will no longer be called Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, but W3C Accessibility Guidelines. This makes it clear that accessibility is no longer just about the web.
Digital content is ubiquitous today – in native apps, desktop programs, PDFs and Office documents, but also on devices with their own user interfaces, such as refrigerators or washing machines with touchscreens.
While there are already supplementary documents describing how the WCAG can be applied to such non-web content, these solutions are rather provisional. WCAG 3 aims to create a unified, flexible framework that considers all digital platforms and technologies.
The new WCAG 3 is therefore expected to be more abstract and comprehensive than its predecessors. While previous versions focused heavily on traditional websites, the upcoming generation will also cover complex web applications and diverse forms of interaction.
A key difference between the upcoming WCAG 3 and previous versions concerns how accessibility is assessed. The familiar Success Criteria are not expected to remain in their current form. Instead, the concept of so-called outcomes is introduced.
These outcomes focus more on the result of a requirement—that is, whether users can actually interact successfully with a digital platform. This puts the practical impact of accessible design more in the spotlight than the purely formal fulfillment of individual technical specifications.
With WCAG 3, there will no longer be a simple "pass" or "fail." Instead, a graded rating system is provided.
or each outcome, there will be a rating matrix that describes how well the respective requirement is met. In addition, appropriate testing methods will be defined to objectively measure fulfillment. The results can then be ranked on a scale—similar to a point system. To prevent the assessment from becoming a mere numbers game, the concept also includes so-called critical errors. If such a critical error occurs—for example, a keyboard trap that completely prevents operation—the application in question is considered inaccessible, regardless of its score in other areas. This is consistent because certain barriers preclude usability altogether or for a specific group.
Another important aspect of WCAG 3 is the greater inclusion of various forms of disability and interaction styles.
While previous guidelines focused heavily on assistive technologies for blind users, the new approach is intended to be significantly broader.
The plan is to give greater consideration to cognitive impairments and neurodiversity. Interaction styles—such as voice control, gesture control, or eye tracking—will also be included in the assessment.
Furthermore, the guidelines are intended to be applicable to immersive technologies such as Extended Reality (XR). How this will be implemented in practice remains to be seen, as these new environments present their own unique accessibility and interaction requirements.
In addition to the new assessment logic, WCAG 3 will fundamentally change the entire conformance model. Previously, digital offerings were assessed using three levels: A, AA, and AAA.
To achieve a specific level, all requirements of the levels below it had to be met.
This meant that anyone aiming for AA conformance had to fulfill all A and AA criteria – and similarly, for AAA, all three levels. This system was clear, but in practice often too rigid and difficult to adapt to different application contexts.
In WCAG 3, this level-based model is expected to be replaced by a new assessment system. Instead of A, AA, and AAA, the levels Bronze, Silver, and Gold will be used.
The assessments are based on already mentioned aforementioned outcomes and their corresponding point values.
The individual results are combined into an overall score, with different weightings for the various areas.
This creates a more nuanced and flexible picture of how accessible a product actually is.
The ratio roughly corresponds to the previous levels:
- Bronze is approximately equivalent to today's Level A
- Silver to AA
- Gold to AAA
However, the new system is not simply a direct translation, but a fundamentally new way of thinking. It aims to better reflect the diverse nature of digital accessibility in practice – and how different the requirements are depending on the application, technology, or target group.
Another exciting aspect is that the scope of the new guidelines has been significantly expanded.
The development of WCAG 3 is a complex and lengthy process. The W3C regularly publishes new Working Drafts, which summarize the current considerations and results. These drafts are publicly accessible and open for comment.
Given the fundamental changes – from the rating system and the conformance model to the inclusion of new technologies – it is foreseeable that it will take some time before a stable version is available. An official publication is unlikely within the next one to two years.
For those who don't work with accessibility on a daily basis, there's currently no urgent need to delve deeply into WCAG 3. The drafts are still in a very early stage and can change considerably before the final version.
One example is the APCA (Advanced Perceptual Contrast Algorithm) contrast model, which is currently under discussion. Whether and in what form it will actually be integrated into WCAG 3 is still completely open. It's therefore worthwhile to keep an eye on developments – but not yet to change existing processes or testing methods.
Even assuming optimistically that WCAG 3 could be published around 2028 – which is by no means certain – that would not mean it would become immediately binding.
The existing versions (2.0, 2.1, and 2.2) will remain in force and continue to be used in parallel. This is primarily because laws and regulations generally refer to a specific WCAG version – and not automatically to the most recent version.
For example, WCAG 2.0 is still the official standard in many countries, while the European Union currently refers to WCAG 2.1 in its standard EN 301 549 – even though version 2.2 has been published for about two years. This illustrates how lengthy such adaptation processes can be.
Therefore, after the publication of WCAG 3, there will initially be a transition period during which the older versions will remain valid.
Only then will it be integrated into national regulations, for example:
- in the USA via Section 508 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- in the European Union via the aforementioned EN 301 549
- and subsequently into the respective national laws of the member states. This entire process will take several years. Only then will WCAG 3 play a noticeable role in practice
In short: WCAG 3 is an ambitious project intended to make digital accessibility more comprehensive, modern, and practical. However, there is still plenty of time before it actually becomes mandatory.
Those who currently adhere to WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 are therefore still on the safe side – and can follow the developments of WCAG 3 with interest, but without haste.
Implementation in Germany and Outlook
In Germany, EN 301 549 is directly referenced in the national laws on digital accessibility. This means that as soon as the EN standard is updated, the new version automatically becomes the binding standard.
The next update of EN 301 549 is expected in 2026 – at which point WCAG 2.2 will also be officially integrated and thus legally binding in Germany.
Should the EN standard one day incorporate WCAG 3, it would also automatically become the legal framework for digital accessibility in Germany. In practice, however, there will still be transition periods.
EN 301 549 covers numerous areas – from hardware (Chapter 8) and apps (Chapter 11) to telecommunications and other digital services.
How the future WCAG 3 will fit into this existing structure is currently completely open.
In the worst-case scenario, the entire standard would have to be revised to fully integrate the new WCAG 3 concept.
Such a process would take several years. Even after that, additional transition periods are to be expected – possibly up to five years for all entities obligated to ensure accessibility.
Given this, it is realistic that the full implementation of WCAG 3 in Germany – including legal anchoring and transition periods – will not be completed until the 2030s, perhaps even between 2035 and 2040.
Conclusion
As already mentioned at the beginning: For most organizations, there is currently no immediate need to engage intensively with WCAG 3.
The current WCAG 2.1 and the future 2.2 will remain the authoritative standards for many years to come.
However, it is worthwhile to follow developments closely – because WCAG 3 will ultimately form the basis for a new, more comprehensive understanding of digital accessibility.