Building WCAG-Compliant Applications

About WCAG

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of international standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). These guidelines ensure that web content is accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities. Accessible application development ensures digital products can be used by people of all abilities.

WCAG is organized under four principles:

• Perceivable – Information and UI must be presented in a way that users can perceive.
• Operable – UI components and navigation must be operable.
• Understandable – Content must be readable and predictable.
• Robust – Content must be compatible with current and future technologies.

Adhering to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) not only reflects a strong ethical commitment to inclusivity but also helps compliance with legal requirements in many regions, such as Colorado. Beyond ethics and compliance, WCAG adherence provides clear organizational benefits, including reaching a wider audience, enhancing user experience, and strengthening brand reputation by demonstrating a commitment to accessibility and equal access.

WCAG applies to all types of digital content—such as websites, apps, and documents—while ADA compliance covers public accommodations and employers, including their digital platforms.

This case study outlines he process of achieving WCAG compliant applications for our client’s web and mobile interfaces. The primary goal is to ensure universal accessibility, thereby making all web applications within their ecosystem accessible to individuals with disabilities. The client has specified a minimum compliance target of Level AA of WCAG 2.1, with a clear intention to progress towards achieving Level AA of the more recent WCAG 2.2.

About the Client

Our client, a robust provider of Human Resource Management Solutions, helps its customers manage the entire employee lifecycle. Based in Colorado, they needed to align their online assets with the state’s latest digital accessibility requirements. Our client sought to ensure universal compliance, ensuring their web and mobile applications are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Their goal was not just legal adherence but a firm commitment to inclusivity.

Problem Statement

Despite the strength of the existing system, the application had several accessibility gaps that hindered users with disabilities. These included:

• Inaccessible and complex UI elements.
• Absence of screen reader compatibility.
• Missing semantic HTML tags and ARIA labels.
• Low color contrast that impaired readability.
• Non-standard use of icons and symbols without descriptive tags.
• Multimedia elements (audio/video) lacking appropriate format, spacing, or captions.

These limitations impacted the user experience, particularly for individuals relying on assistive technologies, and exposed the application to compliance risks under the WCAG standards.

Solution

At CI Global, we proposed a comprehensive transformation plan to make the platform WCAG 2.1 compliant, with a vision to align with WCAG 2.2 shortly. The solution encompassed:

• A detailed accessibility audit using compliance testing tools, browser extensions, and manual testing to identify non-compliant areas.
• Refactoring the frontend to use semantic HTML and applying ARIA attributes to improve context awareness.
• Improving keyboard operability and screen reader navigation.
• Enhancing color contrast and visibility of focus indicators.
• Adding language tags, ensuring descriptive icons, and enforcing proper use of multimedia and spacing.
• Testing across web and mobile platforms using BrowserStack and licensed automation tools for comprehensive device coverage.
• Ensuring icons are accompanied by descriptive text (e.g., “Next →” instead of just an arrow).
• Making multimedia content accessible through audio descriptions and captions.
• Defining specific iconography standards to avoid repeated use of generic visuals.

Approach

Our approach combined research, proposal drafting, and iterative implementation in collaboration with the client’s compliance and development teams. Key stages included:

1. Accessibility Audit & Tool Evaluation
   Evaluated free and paid tools, including browser-based extensions, for real-time accessibility checks.
2. Compliance Mapping
   Mapped current features against WCAG 2.1/2.2 guidelines to identify gaps in classes like navigation, iconography, multimedia, spacing, and color contrast.
3. Design Standardization
   Standardized components like icons (e.g., replacing generic arrows with labeled “Next” and “Previous”), audio/video formats, and font size and usage.
4. Semantic Structuring
   Implemented clear control names, titles, and tags compatible with assistive tools. Ensured that each icon served one specific purpose to avoid ambiguity.
5. Testing & Iteration
   Automated and manual testing across devices, ensuring consistency and compatibility. Focused on real-time simulation using BrowserStack for mobile web and app versions.

Benefits

• Compliance Assurance: Aligned the digital assets with WCAG 2.1 standards, reducing legal risks and preparing for future 2.2 support.
• Inclusive Design: Enhanced user experience for those with disabilities through improved accessibility features.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Ensured accessibility across web and mobile applications without separate implementations.
• Tool-Based Automation: Reduced manual testing efforts through smart integration with automation platforms and licensed tools.
• Standardization: Built a consistent and scalable accessibility framework for future features and updates.

About CI Global

At CI Global, we specialize in creating inclusive, future-ready digital experiences. With a strong focus on enterprise applications and platform integration, we help clients meet compliance mandates and adopt emerging standards effortlessly. Our accessibility solutions are rooted in deep technical expertise, practical implementation, and a people-first mindset. From audits and development to testing and automation, CI Global ensures your applications are usable, accessible, and future-proof.