The W3C has published an updated working draft of WCAG 3.0, and it's worth paying attention to—even though it won't become the required standard for years.
If you're building websites for UK clients, you're probably working to WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA right now. That's not changing tomorrow. But understanding where accessibility standards are heading helps you make better decisions today.
What is WCAG 3.0?
WCAG 3.0 (officially called W3C Accessibility Guidelines 3.0) is a complete restructure of how we measure and report web accessibility. It's not just WCAG 2.2 with a few extra success criteria bolted on. The whole framework is different.
The current WCAG 2.x structure uses success criteria organised under four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. You either pass or fail each criterion. WCAG 3.0 moves away from this binary approach.
The new conformance model
The September 2026 draft focuses heavily on the conformance model—how you measure and report compliance. This is where WCAG 3.0 differs most from what we're used to.
Instead of pass/fail criteria, WCAG 3.0 introduces a scoring system. You'll test against "outcomes" (similar to current success criteria) but receive a score rather than a simple pass or fail. The idea is to better capture partial compliance and encourage continuous improvement.
For example, under WCAG 2.1, if 95% of your images have alt text but 5% don't, you fail criterion 1.1.1. Under WCAG 3.0's model, you'd receive a score reflecting that most of your content is accessible, while still identifying the gaps.
The W3C is actively seeking feedback on this conformance model. If you have opinions on how accessibility should be measured, now's the time to share them.
What's staying the same
The underlying accessibility requirements aren't disappearing. You'll still need to:
- Provide text alternatives for images
- Ensure sufficient colour contrast
- Make all functionality available via keyboard
- Give users enough time to read content
- Avoid content that causes seizures
- Help users navigate and find content
- Make text readable and understandable
- Build robust content that works with assistive technologies
The technical work you're doing now to meet WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 will still matter. WCAG 3.0 reorganises and refines these requirements, but accessible code is still accessible code.
Timeline: Don't panic
WCAG 3.0 is a working draft. It's not a recommendation, and it's not referenced in any UK legislation.
The Equality Act 2010 requires "reasonable adjustments" for disabled users, with WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the accepted technical benchmark. Public sector bodies must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
When WCAG 3.0 eventually becomes a W3C Recommendation (likely 2027 at the earliest), there'll be a transition period before legislation catches up. The move from WCAG 2.0 to 2.1 took years to filter through to regulatory requirements.
What to do now
Keep building to WCAG 2.2 Level AA. This is the current best practice and will remain the compliance target for the foreseeable future. WCAG 2.2 added useful criteria around focus appearance (2.4.11), dragging movements (2.5.7), and target size (2.5.8) that make sites more usable.
Watch the scoring model. If WCAG 3.0's scoring approach becomes standard, you'll want tooling that can report scores rather than just pass/fail. Start thinking about how you'd track accessibility metrics over time.
Test with real users. WCAG 3.0 places more emphasis on functional outcomes—can people actually use your site? Automated testing catches many issues, but testing with screen reader users, keyboard-only users, and people with cognitive disabilities reveals problems that automated tools miss.
Document your accessibility work. Under any conformance model, you'll need to demonstrate what you've done. Keep records of testing, fixes, and ongoing monitoring.
The bigger picture
WCAG 3.0's development shows accessibility standards maturing. The binary pass/fail model has limitations—it doesn't distinguish between a site with one minor issue and one with hundreds. A scoring system could give organisations clearer targets and better ways to measure progress.
But the core message hasn't changed since WCAG 1.0 in 1999: build websites that work for everyone. The technical specifics evolve, but the goal remains the same.
For now, focus on WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA. Fix the issues you know about. Test regularly. When WCAG 3.0 becomes relevant to your compliance requirements, you'll be in a strong position because you've been doing the work all along.
WCAGCheck scans your website for WCAG compliance issues and tells you exactly what to fix. Try it free at wcagcheck.co.uk