ISO/IEC 40500:2012

Information technology - W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0

ISO/IEC 40500:2012 [Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0] covers a wide range of recommendations for making Web content more accessible. Following these guidelines will make content accessible to a wider range of people with disabilities, including blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, learning disabilities, cognitive limitations, limited movement, speech disabilities, photo-sensitivity and combinations of these. Following these guidelines will also often make your Web content more usable to users in general. WCAG 2.0 success criteria are written as testable statements that are not technology-specific. Guidance about satisfying the success criteria in specific technologies, as well as general information about interpreting the success criteria, is provided in separate documents. An overview of WCAG 2.0, the WCAG 2.0 standard, technical and education material supporting implementation of WCAG 2.0, and information on translating WCAG 2.0, are freely available from Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview.

Technologies de l'information — Règles pour l'accessibilité des contenus Web (WCAG) 2.0

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 11-Oct-2012
• ICS: 35.080 - Software
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1 - Information technology
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1 - Information technology
• Current Stage: 9599 - Withdrawal of International Standard
• Start Date: 24-Sep-2025
• Completion Date: 30-Oct-2025

Relations

• Consolidated By: ISO 1101:2017 - Geometrical product specifications (GPS) - Geometrical tolerancing - Tolerances of form, orientation, location and run-out
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022
• Revised: ISO/IEC 40500:2025 - Information technology - W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
• Effective Date: 07-Jan-2025

Overview

ISO/IEC 40500:2012 is the international adoption of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. It provides a comprehensive set of recommendations for making web content more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities - including blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, learning and cognitive disabilities, limited movement, speech disabilities and photo-sensitivity. The standard frames accessibility in technology‑neutral, testable success criteria and points to supporting guidance for implementing those criteria in specific technologies.

Key Topics

• Accessibility scope: Guidance applies to web content (text, images, audio, video, code and interactive elements) so it can be perceived, operated, understood and robust for diverse users and assistive technologies.
• Testable success criteria: Criteria are written as objective, testable statements that do not depend on particular technologies, enabling measurable conformance.
• Technology-neutral approach: The standard focuses on outcomes rather than prescriptive techniques; implementation guidance for HTML, CSS, ARIA or other technologies is provided in separate W3C documents.
• User groups addressed: Explicit focus on accessibility for users with visual, auditory, cognitive, learning, motor and speech impairments, and on combinations of disabilities.
• Usability benefits: Following the guidelines commonly improves overall usability for all users, including those on mobile devices or with temporary impairments.

Applications

ISO/IEC 40500:2012 is used across the web development lifecycle to design, build, test and maintain accessible digital content:

• Web developers & front-end engineers use the standard to make code and markup accessible and compatible with assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers).
• UX/UI designers & content authors apply the guidance to create perceivable and understandable interfaces and content.
• Accessibility testers & QA teams use the success criteria to verify conformance and produce audit reports.
• Procurement officers & policy makers reference the standard when specifying accessibility requirements for public sector sites or vendor contracts.
• Accessibility consultants & trainers incorporate the standard into training and remediation plans.

Related Standards

• Originates from the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 - ISO/IEC 40500:2012 is the ISO/IEC formalization of that W3C guidance.
• Complementary materials, implementation techniques and educational resources are available from the W3C WCAG Overview and related WCAG documents.

Following ISO/IEC 40500:2012 (WCAG 2.0) helps organisations meet recognized web accessibility standards, improve inclusivity, and reduce legal and compliance risk while enhancing user experience for everyone.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 40500
First edition
2012-10-15
Information technology — W3C Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
2.0
Technologies de l'information — Règles pour l'accessibilité des
contenus Web (WCAG) 2.0
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2012
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