What does WCAG 2.1 Level AA actually mean for my website?

WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the technical standard that the European standard EN 301 549 follows and that BFSG indirectly mandates. In practice, this means: sufficient colour contrast between text and background, full keyboard navigation without needing a mouse, meaningful alt text for images, clear and understandable error messages in forms, and captions for video content. Page structure also matters – headings, links and form fields must be marked up so screen readers can announce them correctly. A full accessibility audit typically checks compliance against the entire WCAG 2.1 Level AA checklist.