What WCAG 2.2 AA actually asks of an SME site
POUR — perceivable, operable, understandable, robust — is the frame. For a 8–15 page Indian brochure, that means: text alternatives, contrast, keyboard, labels, error text, consistent nav, and valid enough HTML that assistive tech can parse it.
You do not implement 80 success criteria as a spreadsheet ritual. You implement the ones that fail every audit we run in Tamil Nadu: 1.4.3 contrast, 1.1.1 non-text, 1.3.1 info and relationships, 2.1.1 keyboard, 2.4.7 focus visible, 3.3.1/3.3.2 errors and labels, 2.5.8 target size (2.2).
AA versus the overlay sales deck
AA is properties of your pages. An overlay is a third-party script that promises a toolbar. Buyers who ask for a VPAT or a WCAG statement want evidence on your markup, not a badge in the footer.
A versus AA for Indian service firms
A without AA still leaves unreadable contrast and missing labels — the two failures that kill clinic and CA forms. Skip AAA colour and sign-language requirements unless you are a public broadcaster.
Indian law, tenders, and honest risk
RPwD 2016 recognises access to ICT. Government sites and many PSU / large covered digital services are expected to meet notified standards. If you sell to those buyers, questionnaires will ask about WCAG even if your own shop is a 12-person firm in Anna Nagar.
For a neighbourhood clinic, the risk is operational: missed bookings, angry reviews, and a doctor who cannot defend “the site does not work on my father’s phone.” Document what you shipped. Do not claim “WCAG certified” unless an auditor said so.
What to write on a tender form
State the target (WCAG 2.2 AA), what was tested, on which pages, and known exceptions (PDF archive, third-party map). Honesty beats a fake 100% score.
Images, icons, and “WhatsApp Tamil as a PNG”
Meaningful images need alt that states the job of the image, not “image1.” Decorative images get empty alt. Icon-only buttons need an accessible name: “Open WhatsApp,” not a bare SVG.
Setting service copy as screenshots of Tamil WhatsApp chats is an accessibility and SEO defect. Type the words. See multilingual Tamil / Hindi / English.
Charts and before-after photos
Infographics need a text summary nearby. Before-after clinic photos need alt that does not invent medical claims — describe the image, keep claims in adjacent copy a doctor approved.
Forms, errors, and the lead you never received
Every field needs a visible label tied with for/id or wrapping. Placeholder-only “Name” disappears as you type and fails many users. Required state must not be colour alone.
Errors must be text, next to the field, and reachable by keyboard. “Something went wrong” at the top of a 12-field GST enquiry is how leads die. Pair with forms, CRM, and WhatsApp.
Phone, OTP, and +91 patterns
Use input type tel, autocomplete, and a country code that does not trap screen readers in a custom dropdown without roles. OTP widgets must expose each digit or a single field with a clear label.
Video, reels embeds, and captions
Hero background video needs a pause control and must not be the only way to get the offer. Captions (or a transcript) are required for prerecorded video with speech if you claim AA.
Instagram embeds are third-party accessibility debt. If the reel is the pitch, duplicate the script as HTML. Website vs Instagram Shop is the channel split; this is the access split.
Audio-only founder podcasts
Provide a transcript. Auto-playing audio on landing is a hard fail for 1.4.2.
Stack choices: WordPress, Shopify, Next.js
WordPress: pick a theme that ships real headings and forms; audit page builders that spit out nested divs. Shopify: checkout accessibility is mostly Shopify’s job; your theme’s PDP and megamenu are yours. Next.js: you own every component — that is power and liability.
Compare jobs, not logos: which stack and static vs WordPress vs custom. Builders can pass AA if the designer is disciplined; they fail when every text block is an H1.
PDFs of price lists
A scanned rate card is inaccessible. Publish HTML prices or a tagged PDF. Prefer HTML on the business site.
How we test from Chennai without a theatre audit
Manual keyboard pass, axe or WAVE as a lint (not a certificate), contrast on tokens, TalkBack on one Android, VoiceOver if a Mac is in the room, and a real form submit. Then fix the top ten issues before you buy a 60-page audit.
Speed testing belongs in the same week — inaccessible and slow often share uncompressed heroes. See Core Web Vitals for SMEs.
What we refuse to call “done”
Unlabelled icon nav, colour-only errors, Tamil-as-image, and a cookie wall that cannot be accepted by keyboard. Those block launch on Brevia builds.
What to put in the agency brief
Write: target WCAG 2.2 AA on all marketing URLs we ship; exceptions listed; no overlay as the strategy; test devices include a budget Android. That sentence changes the build. Full brief craft: how to brief a website agency in India.
Budget the work inside the package, not as “phase 2.” Floors remain Landing ₹7,500; Business ₹28,000; Static from ₹18,000; E-Commerce ₹38,000; Dynamic + SEO ₹50,000 + ₹15,000/mo; custom from ₹50,000. Start: consultation or contact.
Maintenance after launch
New landing pages reintroduce failures. Bake checks into WordPress maintenance and content ops, not a one-time certificate.
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