The Complete Executive Guide to WCAG: Mobile Apps & Web Compliance
The global standard for digital inclusion—and the pragmatic path to protecting your business.
What is WCAG and Why Does It Matter?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the technical standards that define how digital content should look and behave for people with disabilities. While the name implies "Web," WCAG has evolved to become the universal measuring stick for all digital technologies, including Native Mobile Applications (iOS & Android), software, kiosks, and digital documents.
Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG is not a law in itself, but it serves as the benchmark for accessibility laws worldwide. It enables organizations to measure accessibility against documented, testable requirements.
Approximately 16% of the world's population lives with some form of disability. When your digital products conform to WCAG, you ensure that people with vision, hearing, motor, and cognitive impairments can perceive and operate your content.
The "Mobile Blindspot" in Compliance
Most accessibility advice focuses heavily on websites. However, the same standards apply to your mobile apps.
The challenge? Automated web scanners cannot "see" inside a compiled iOS or Android app. Agencies often run a website scan and declare a company "compliant," leaving the mobile app completely exposed to legal risk.
AUDITSU closes this gap by auditing your native apps against the specific mobile criteria introduced in WCAG 2.1.
The 4 Principles of Accessibility (POUR)
WCAG is built on four foundational principles. If your website or mobile app fails any one of these, it is not accessible.
Perceivable
"Can users see or hear the content?"
Information and UI components must be presented in ways users can perceive.
Operable
"Can users use the interface?"
Users must be able to navigate and interact with the interface components.
Understandable
"Do users know what to do?"
Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable.
Robust
"Does it work with assistive tech?"
Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
The Pragmatic Approach: Why We Target WCAG 2.1 (Not 2.2)
The W3C regularly updates guidelines to keep pace with technology. As of October 2023, the newest version is WCAG 2.2.
While some agencies may push you toward the newest, strictest standard immediately, AUDITSU recommends a customer-first, pragmatic approach: WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
It is the Legal Standard
Major regulations, including Europe's EN 301 549 and recent US Department of Justice rulings, specifically cite WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Mobile Coverage
WCAG 2.1 was explicitly designed to address mobile devices and tablets, adding 17 success criteria that were missing from version 2.0.
Efficiency
WCAG 2.2 adds 9 new, complex criteria focused on specific cognitive and motor use cases. While valuable, they are not yet required by law.
Our Recommendation: Align with WCAG 2.1 Level AA to maximize legal protection and usability while keeping development cycles efficient.
Understanding Conformance Levels: A, AA, AAA
Within WCAG 2.1, there are three levels of conformance. You do not need to hit the highest level to be compliant.
Level A
30 Criteria
Minimum. The most basic level. Essential for the site to be usable at all.
Mandatory, but insufficient. Meeting only Level A leaves you open to significant legal risk.
Level AA
20 Additional Criteria
The Standard. The mid-range level that represents strong accessibility.
The Goal. This is the standard required by the ADA, Section 508, and AODA.
Level AAA
31 Additional Criteria
Advanced. The highest level of conformance.
Optional. Generally not recommended as a requirement for entire sites because it is not possible to satisfy all criteria for some types of content.
WCAG and the Legal Landscape
Adhering to WCAG is the only way to satisfy the technical requirements of major accessibility laws.
🇪🇺 The European Accessibility Act (EAA)
Critical DeadlineThe EAA mandates that products (including mobile apps) marketed in the EU must be accessible. The technical standard is EN 301 549, which mirrors WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Note: This applies to private companies (e-commerce, banking, transport), not just government bodies.
🇺🇸 The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Enforcement StandardWhile the ADA does not explicitly mention WCAG in its text, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has consistently referenced WCAG in enforcement actions. Courts widely recognize WCAG 2.0 or 2.1 Level AA as the standard for preventing discrimination.
🏛️ Section 508 (US Gov) & AODA (Canada)
Government RequirementsSection 508 requires federal agencies and contractors to conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA. AODA (Ontario) mandates WCAG 2.0 Level AA for public websites.
Testing: Why Automation Fails Mobile Apps
There are many free tools (like WAVE or browser extensions) that check for accessibility. While useful for a "first pass," relying on them is dangerous.
Limited Coverage
Automated tools can find easy issues (like color contrast), but fail to catch complex usability barriers.
Mobile Blindness
These tools usually scan HTML. They cannot interact with a compiled mobile app to test gestures, navigation flow, or screen reader focus order.
False Positives
Automation cannot determine if an image is "decorative" or "informative". For now, only a human can decide if alt-text is necessary.
The AUDITSU Approach: Commit, Audit, Rectify
Achieving 100% WCAG conformance is a marathon, not a sprint. However, legal protection starts the moment you acknowledge the challenge. At AUDITSU, we reject the "all or nothing" mindset that paralyzes many businesses. Instead, we advocate for a transparent, three-step roadmap that builds immediate trust with regulators and users.
Commit & Publish
"Acknowledge the journey." You do not need to be perfect to be protected. The most critical first step is publishing a robust Accessibility Statement that defines your current status and outlines your commitment to improvement.
The Action:
Use the AUDITSU Accessibility Statement Generator to create a compliant, legally-worded declaration of intent for your website and mobile apps.
The Benefit:
This acts as your "flag in the sand," signaling to customers and legal bodies that you are aware of your obligations and are actively managing them.
Audit & Validate
Once your commitment is public, you must back it up with data. Move beyond basic automated scanners, which can miss up to 70% of issues, and schedule a manual audit of your key user flows.
The Action:
Conduct a "Human-First" audit (internally or with partners) to identify barriers that affect real users, such as screen reader navigation or mobile touch targets.
The Benefit:
You transform unknown risks into a prioritized worklist, focusing on the severe issues that actually block users.
Rectify & Win
Accessibility is a quality metric, just like speed or security. As you fix the issues found in Phase 2, you update your Accessibility Statement to reflect your progress.
The Action:
Systematically resolve your prioritized issues and update your statement to show "Conformance" rather than just "Intent."
The Benefit:
You reduce your legal liability while opening your product to the 16% of the global population who rely on accessible technology.
Don't wait for perfection. Start with commitment.
Generate a professional Accessibility Statement in minutes and take the first step toward a defensible legal position.
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