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.
developingCore requirement
Spatial Audio Not Relied On
Group: images-and-media • Guideline: single-sense
Summary in Plain English
Where sound is positioned in space to convey information, that positioning cannot be the only way the information is given.
Why It Matters
Spatial cues require hearing in both ears. They are unavailable to people with single-sided deafness or asymmetric hearing loss, and to anyone listening on one earbud or a mono speaker.
Information conveyed includes but is not limited to presenting data or meaning, indicating an action, prompting a response, distinguishing between items, and conveying boundaries. Artistic expression is not part of information conveyed.
Information is not conveyed by spatial audio alone.
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Information conveyed includes but is not limited to presenting data or meaning, indicating an action, prompting a response, distinguishing between items, and conveying boundaries. Artistic expression is not part of information conveyed.
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