WCAG 3.0 is an active W3C Working Draft in development by the AGWG. Requirements, assertions, the conformance model and reporting tiers are still being developed and may change. The latest published draft is the 10 September 2026 Working Draft; this site follows the editors’ draft, which also includes exploratory provisions.
An abbreviation is explained where it is first used - unless it has become a dictionary word in its own right (such as "scuba" or "HTML"), appears in a logo, or sits inside a longer phrase that the non-literal language requirement already covers.
Why It Matters
Unexplained abbreviations stop readers who are new to a domain, reading in a second language, or have a language or learning disability - and screen readers often pronounce them as words.
Explanations of abbreviations are available when first used.
:::except-when
- the abbreviation is:
* used so often it has become a word with its own dictionary entry, such as "scuba," "info," and "HTML",
* used in a logo, or
* included in a longer phrase, such as "brand DNA," whose meaning needs to be defined to meet the [non-literal language requirement](#non-literal-language-explained).
:::
:::example
Abbreviation is introduced after first expanded use of the term.
> "He has Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)."
Abbreviation is linked to a glossary entry or tooltip.
> "He has [ARFID]."
:::