World Wide Web Consortium publishes draft method for evaluating digital accessibility

The World Wide Web Consortium has published the first draft of a document called W3C Accessibility Guidelines Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM) 2.0. The draft was released on 5 February 2026 by the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group and is presented as a Group Note, meaning it offers guidance rather than binding requirements.

To understand the purpose of this document, it is useful to start with accessibility standards. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, commonly known as WCAG, define how websites and digital content should be designed so that they can be used by people with disabilities. These guidelines cover issues such as text alternatives for images, keyboard navigation, colour contrast, and compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers.

While WCAG explains what needs to be accessible, WCAG-EM focuses on how to evaluate accessibility in practice. The methodology provides a step-by-step process that organisations can follow to check whether a digital product, such as a website, mobile app, or online service, meets WCAG requirements.

The draft methodology outlines five main stages. First, evaluators define the scope of the evaluation, deciding which parts of a digital product will be assessed and which standards apply. Next, they explore the product to understand its structure, features, and content types. Based on this understanding, a representative sample of pages or components is selected for testing, rather than attempting to test everything.

The methodology then explains how to evaluate the selected sample against WCAG criteria and how to document the results. The final step focuses on reporting, with guidance on how to present findings clearly and transparently so that others can understand what was tested, how it was tested, and what the results mean.

A key feature of WCAG-EM 2.0 is that it is technology-agnostic. This means it does not depend on a specific programming language, platform, or testing tool. It can be used in different contexts, including internal self-assessments by organisations and independent evaluations carried out by external auditors.