W3C Checklist

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is a consortium of over 400 organizations and individuals that develops and specifies standards for the Web. The W3C has studied and documented accessibility issues and released standards that define accessible Web design.

According to the W3C, Priority 1 guidelines are a minimum standard. Priority 2 guidelines increase the accessibility of Web content so that it is not only available but more easily usable. Priority 3 guidelines increase both the accessibility and usability of Web content even further.

The City and County of Denver strives for compliance with the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), specifically Priority Levels 1 and 2. The W3C has provided a convenient list of the individual checkpoints that meet this standard.

The official guidelines of the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative are as follows:

(1) Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.

(2) Don't rely on color alone.

(3) Use markup and style sheets and do so properly.

(4) Clarify natural language usage.

(5) Create tables that transform gracefully.

(6) Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully.

(7) Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes.

(8) Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces.

(9) Design for device-independence.

(10) Use interim solutions.

(11) Use W3C technologies and guidelines.

(12) Provide context and orientation information.

(13) Provide clear navigation mechanisms.

(14) Ensure that documents are clear and simple.