Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) was developed through the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) process in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world, with a goal of providing a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.
The WCAG documents explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Web “content” generally refers to the information in a web page or web application, including natural information such as text, images, and sounds as well as code or markup that defines structure, presentation, etc.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards are stable and referenceable; they do not change after they are published.
WCAG 2.0 was published on 11 December 2008.
WCAG 2.1 was published on 5 June 2018.

The WCAG standard for accessibility has four principles under which there are guidelines for assistance with designing and developing accessible digital content. The four principles are:
1. Perceivable
2. Operable
3. Understandable
4. Robust

You can read the guidelines for each principle and understand the various requirements, design guides and common mistakes from the WCAG Principles and Guidelines list.

Along with WCAG checklist, you’ll also have to make sure you conform to one of the various different levels needed for certification. There are three levels in total and they determine the degree of compliance recommended for different situations and requirements: A is the lowest, AA is mid-range, and AAA is the highest.
Similar to the success criteria, one WCAG level succeeds the other. This means that if your website is AA compliant, then it will also conform to the A level.

1. Provides clear technical specifications to website designers, and unifying web-accessibility standards.
2. Helps designers and developers systematically follow and refer to a checklist for designing and developing digital content.
3. It is an essential tool that helps to make digital content more inclusive.
4. It improves all-round experience of all users

WCAG is primarily intended for:
1. Web content developers (page authors, site designers, etc.)
2. Web authoring tool developers
3. Web accessibility evaluation tool developers
4. Others who want or need a standard for designing and developing accessible digital products, services or applications.

1. Cultivates an inclusive environment for your potential consumers.
2. Eliminates legal risks related to accessibility
3. Enhanced overall user experience
4. Improved search engine optimization (SEO) resulting in more exposure.

1. Refer to requirements and designs as per the WCAG Compliance checklist for principles and guidelines.
2. Perform an WCAG Compliance Audit
3. Arrange for a consultation with accessibility specialists
4. Provide Accessibility Trainings to team members for a better understanding of accessibility and importance in implementing accessible designs for products, services and content.