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Glossary

What is WCAG?

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WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the W3C standard for accessible web content, with success criteria at three levels, A, AA and AAA. Its current version is WCAG 2.2, and EPUB Accessibility 1.1 builds on it.

Why it matters when you convert a PDF to EPUB

An EPUB is web content in a ZIP, so the same criteria apply: text alternatives for images, a real heading structure, a meaningful reading order, sufficient contrast and a declared language. A converted PDF can meet several of these much better than the PDF did, and others, such as image descriptions, still need a person.

EPUB Accessibility 1.1 requires a publication to meet at least WCAG 2 Level A and strongly recommends Level AA, and the conformance claim names the version and level, for example "EPUB Accessibility 1.1 - WCAG 2.2 Level AA".

How EpubCC handles it: the engine produces headings, reading order, a declared language and linked footnotes, but it makes no WCAG conformance claim, because it does not check criteria such as image descriptions or contrast in the source.

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FAQ

What is WCAG?

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the W3C standard for accessible web content, with success criteria at three levels, A, AA and AAA. Its current version is WCAG 2.2, and EPUB Accessibility 1.1 builds on it.