Digital accessibility is no longer a niche topic. It’s mandatory for government agencies, a procurement requirement for an increasing number of companies, and a matter of good employment practices and customer-friendliness for every organization. In this blog post, you’ll learn what WCAG entails, why it’s important, and how FileCap complies with it.
What is WCAG?
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: the international guidelines for digital accessibility, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The guidelines describe how websites and applications should be designed so that they are usable by everyone—including people with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities.
WCAG is based on four principles. Digital content must be:
- Perceivable — information must be perceivable by everyone, for example, through sufficient contrast and text alternatives for images;
- Accessible — all functionality must be usable without a mouse, for example, using the keyboard or assistive devices;
- Understandable — text and interactions should be predictable and clear;
- Robust — content must function properly with assistive technologies such as screen readers.
The guidelines have different versions and levels. The most recent version is WCAG 2.2.
Why is digital accessibility important?
In the Netherlands, more than two million people have a disability that can make it difficult for them to use digital tools. Examples include visual impairments, color blindness, motor impairments, or dyslexia. An inaccessible application excludes this group—both as employees and as customers.
In addition, accessibility is increasingly becoming a requirement:
- For government organizations, digital accessibility is required by law under the Government Digital Accessibility Decree;
- As of June 2025, the European Accessibility Act imposes accessibility requirements on a wide range of products and services within the EU;
- In tenders and supplier evaluations, demonstrable accessibility is increasingly being included as a requirement.
For software used organization-wide—such as a solution for secure email and file transfer—this is doubly important. It’s not just your own employees who use it; recipients outside your organization also open messages and download files through the portal. So you have no control over who uses the solution—and that’s precisely why it must be user-friendly for everyone.
FileCap complies with WCAG 2.2
FileCap has been tested against digital accessibility guidelines and complies with WCAG 2.2. Among other things, this means that the FileCap portal is accessible with assistive technologies, can be operated without a mouse, and offers sufficient contrast and clear interactions.
For your organization, this means:
- All employees can safely send emails and share files, regardless of any limitations they may have;
- Recipients of your messages—customers, patients, citizens, suppliers—can open them without any barriers;
- You can demonstrably incorporate accessibility into requests for proposals and supplier evaluations.
The full assessment is documented in the WCAG compliance report (PDF). You can read more about our certifications and compliance on our security page.
Conclusion
Digital accessibility has become a prerequisite: it is required by law for government agencies, increasingly demanded in the private sector, and always valuable to your employees and audiences. WCAG provides the international framework for this.
With FileCap, you’re choosing a solution for secure email and file transfer that complies with WCAG 2.2—verifiably, with a public compliance report. This allows you to combine information security with accessibility for everyone.
Would you like to see for yourself how FileCap works? Request a demo or try FileCap for free for 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WCAG?
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) are the W3C’s international guidelines for digital accessibility. They describe how to make websites and applications usable by everyone, including people with disabilities, based on four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
Is WCAG mandatory?
Digital accessibility is a legal requirement for Dutch government organizations. Starting in June 2025, accessibility requirements under the European Accessibility Act will apply to many products and services within the EU. In addition, an increasing number of organizations are including WCAG compliance as a requirement in their procurement and bidding processes.
Does FileCap comply with WCAG?
Yes, FileCap complies with WCAG 2.2. The assessment is documented in a public compliance report, which you can download from FileCap's security page.
