WCAG 2.1 AA vs AAA: What’s the Real Difference for E-commerce?

|-------|---------|---------------| | A | Habitable | The minimum — the building won’t collapse, but it’s not comfortable | | AA | Code-compliant | Meets building codes; safe and usable for most people | | AAA | Luxury | Exceeds code; optimized for the best possible experience |

Every WCAG success criterion falls into one of these levels. Level A has 30 criteria. Level AA adds 20 more (for 50 total at Level AA). Level AAA adds another 17 beyond that.

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What Each Level Actually Requires

Level A — The Absolute Minimum

Level A criteria are the non-negotiables. If you fail any of these, users with disabilities literally cannot access your content.

|---------|---------------| | US federal ADA (most courts) | AA | | European Accessibility Act | AA | | US federal government sites | AA (Section 508) | | Most state accessibility laws | AA | | Shopify App Store apps | AA | | WooCommerce extensions | AA |