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RGAA 4 vs WCAG 2.1: Understanding the Differences

RGAA 4 is the official French framework, derived from WCAG 2.1. Learn the commonalities, differences, and why a dual audit makes sense for organisations operating internationally.

The RGAA 4 (Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité) is the official French digital accessibility standard. It is mandatory for all public services and, since June 2025, for private services above the micro-enterprise threshold under the European Accessibility Act (EAA).

RGAA 4 is directly derived from the international WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) Level AA, published by the W3C. It incorporates all 50 WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria and translates them into 106 test criteria, organised into 13 thematic areas.

The core difference is structural and methodological. RGAA 4 adds an operational layer: each criterion comes with a precise testing methodology, code examples, and a standardised evaluation grid. This ensures two different RGAA 4 auditors will produce comparable results on the same site.

For organisations operating in France and internationally, a dual RGAA 4 + WCAG 2.1 AA audit makes sense. RGAA 4 satisfies French legal obligations and supports the production of the regulatory accessibility statement. The WCAG 2.1 AA report is more readable by international teams and foreign clients.

In practice, a single audit covers both frameworks simultaneously. Tests are executed once, and results are presented through both lenses. The additional cost over a single-framework audit is marginal — approximately 15–20%.

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