WCAG Rules Applicable to Pagination

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 105 views

Introduction

As part of our ongoing effort to ensure the Design System site meets the highest standards of accessibility, we will be assessing the Pagination component against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. This documentation outlines the process and findings of this assessment, as well as the necessary steps to improve the component's accessibility.

WCAG Rules Applicable to Pagination

The following WCAG rules are applicable to the Pagination component:

1.1.1: Non-text Content - All non-text content must have a text alternative that serves the same purpose.
1.4.1: Punctuation and Special Characters - All punctuation and special characters must be visually distinct from surrounding text.
2.1.1: Keyboard**: All functionality of the component must be accessible through a keyboard.
2.4.3: Focus Order**: The component must follow a logical focus order.
3.2.2: On Input**: The component must not change the context of the page when a user interacts with it.
4.1.1: Parsing**: The component must be parseable by a screen reader.

Assessment Results

The following is a summary of the assessment results:

Rule	Status
1.1.1	Passing
1.4.1	Failing
2.1.1	Passing
2.4.3	Failing
3.2.2	Failing
4.1.1	Passing

Recommendations

Based on the assessment results, the following recommendations are made:

1.4.1: Add a text alternative for the pagination icons.
2.4.3: Improve the focus order of the component to ensure that the focus moves logically through the component.
3.2.2: Modify the component to prevent changes to the context of the page when a user interacts with it.

Implementation

To implement these recommendations, the following changes will be made:

Add a text alternative for the pagination icons using the aria-label attribute.
Improve the focus order of the component by adding a tabindex attribute to the pagination links.
Modify the component to prevent changes to the context of the page when a user interacts with it by adding a preventDefault event listener to the pagination links.

WCAG Compliance

The following is a summary of the WCAG compliance for the Pagination component:

Rule	Status
1.1.1	Compliant
1.4.1	Non-Compliant
2.1.1	Compliant
2.4.3	Non-Compliant
3.2.2	Non-Compliant
4.1.1	Compliant

Best Practices

The following best practices will be implemented to improve the accessibility of the Pagination component:

Use a consistent and logical focus order.
Provide a text alternative for all non-text content.
Prevent changes to the context of the page when a user interacts with the component.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Pagination component does not meet the WCAG 2.2 guidelines in several areas. However, with the implementation of the recommended changes, the component will be brought into compliance with the guidelines. Additionally, the best practices outlined above will be implemented to improve the accessibility of the component.

Future Work

Future work will include:

Reviewing and testing the component to ensure that it meets the WCAG 2.2 guidelines.
Implementing additional accessibility features to improve the overall accessibility of the component.
Continuously monitoring and testing the component to ensure that it remains accessible and compliant with the WCAG 2.2 guidelines.

References

Appendix

The following is a summary of the changes made to the component:

Added a text alternative for the pagination icons using the aria-label attribute.
Improved the focus order of the component by adding a tabindex attribute to the pagination links.
Modified the component to prevent changes to the context of the page when a user interacts with it by adding a preventDefault event listener to the pagination links.
Pagination - DS site WCAG accessibility documentation ===========================================================

Q&A

Q: What is WCAG and why is it important?

A: WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which are a set of guidelines that aim to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG is important because it ensures that web content is usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Q: What are the main principles of WCAG?

A: The main principles of WCAG are:

Perceivable: The content must be perceivable by users, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities.
Operable: The content must be operable by users, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities.
Understandable: The content must be understandable by users, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities.
Robust: The content must be robust enough to work with different technologies and user agents.

Q: What are the different levels of WCAG compliance?

A: There are three levels of WCAG compliance:

WCAG 2.0: This is the original version of WCAG, which was published in 2008.
WCAG 2.1: This is an updated version of WCAG, which was published in 2018.
WCAG 2.2: This is the latest version of WCAG, which was published in 2022.

Q: What are the benefits of WCAG compliance?

A: The benefits of WCAG compliance include:

Improved accessibility: WCAG compliance ensures that web content is accessible to people with disabilities.
Increased user engagement: WCAG compliance can improve user engagement and satisfaction.
Better search engine optimization (SEO): WCAG compliance can improve SEO by making web content more accessible to search engines.
Reduced legal risk: WCAG compliance can reduce the risk of legal action against organizations that fail to provide accessible web content.

Q: How can I ensure that my web content is WCAG compliant?

A: To ensure that your web content is WCAG compliant, follow these steps:

Conduct an accessibility audit: Conduct an accessibility audit to identify areas of your web content that need improvement.
Implement accessibility features: Implement accessibility features such as alt text for images, closed captions for videos, and a clear and consistent navigation menu.
Test your web content: Test your web content with assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard-only navigation.
Continuously monitor and improve: Continuously monitor and improve your web content to ensure that it remains accessible and compliant with WCAG.

Q: What are some common accessibility mistakes to avoid?

A: Some common accessibility mistakes to avoid include:

Using images without alt text: Using images without alt text can make it difficult for users with visual impairments to understand the content of the image.
Not providing closed captions for videos: Not providing closed captions for videos can make it difficult for users with hearing impairments to understand the content of the video.
Using a navigation menu that is not accessible by keyboard: Using a navigation menu that is not accessible by keyboard can make it difficult for users with mobility impairments to navigate the website.
Not providing a clear and consistent navigation menu: Not providing a clear and consistent navigation menu can make it difficult for users to find the information they need.

Q: How can I get started with WCAG compliance?

A: To get started with WCAG compliance, follow these steps:

Learn about WCAG: Learn about WCAG and its guidelines.
Conduct an accessibility audit: Conduct an accessibility audit to identify areas of your web content that need improvement.
Implement accessibility features: Implement accessibility features such as alt text for images, closed captions for videos, and a clear and consistent navigation menu.
Test your web content: Test your web content with assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard-only navigation.
Continuously monitor and improve: Continuously monitor and improve your web content to ensure that it remains accessible and compliant with WCAG.