WCAG 2.2 Requirements: What Your Website Needs to Be Compliant

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is published by the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative. Version 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation on October 5, 2023. It is the standard that courts, regulators, and plaintiffs' attorneys reference when evaluating website accessibility.

The Four WCAG Principles

Every WCAG criterion falls under one of four principles, often abbreviated as POUR:

1. Perceivable

Users must be able to perceive the content. This means:

• Text alternatives for non-text content (images, icons, charts) (1.1.1)
• Captions and transcripts for audio and video (1.2.x)
• Sufficient color contrast: at least 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text (1.4.3)
• Content reflows at up to 400% zoom without horizontal scrolling (1.4.10)
• No information conveyed by color alone (1.4.1)

2. Operable

Users must be able to operate the interface:

• Full keyboard accessibility: every function reachable without a mouse (2.1.1)
• No keyboard traps: users can always tab away from any element (2.1.2)
• Enough time to read and interact with content (2.2.1)
• No content that flashes more than 3 times per second (2.3.1)
• Skip navigation links so keyboard users can bypass repeated menus (2.4.1)
• Focus visible: keyboard focus indicator is always visible (2.4.7)

3. Understandable

Content and UI must be understandable:

• Page language declared in HTML (3.1.1)
• Consistent navigation across pages (3.2.3)
• Labels and instructions for form inputs (3.3.2)
• Error identification: errors are clearly described in text (3.3.1)
• Error suggestion: when possible, suggest corrections (3.3.3)

4. Robust

Content must be robust enough for assistive technologies:

• Valid, well-structured HTML that assistive technology can parse
• ARIA attributes used correctly with proper name, role, and value (4.1.2)
• Status messages communicated to assistive technology without focus change (4.1.3)

Conformance Levels: A, AA, AAA

WCAG defines three conformance levels:

• Level A: The minimum. Addresses the most severe barriers. Example: all images must have alt text (1.1.1).
• Level AA: The standard target for legal compliance. Adds requirements like color contrast minimums (1.4.3) and consistent navigation (3.2.3). This is what the DOJ's April 2024 Title II rule references.
• Level AAA: The highest level. Includes criteria like enhanced contrast (7:1 ratio) and sign language for multimedia. AAA conformance for an entire site is generally not realistic or expected.

What Changed in WCAG 2.2

WCAG 2.2 added nine new success criteria beyond WCAG 2.1:

WCAG 2.2 also removed criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing), because modern browsers handle parsing errors consistently enough that it is no longer a meaningful accessibility barrier.

How Courts Reference WCAG

Courts do not always cite a specific WCAG version. Common patterns:

• The DOJ's April 2024 final rule for Title II (state/local government) websites explicitly requires WCAG 2.1 AA compliance with specific deadlines.
• Settlement agreements in Title III (private business) cases frequently require WCAG 2.0 or 2.1 AA compliance, with some newer agreements referencing 2.2.
• Plaintiffs' complaints often cite specific WCAG criteria as evidence of non-compliance.

Meeting WCAG 2.2 AA covers everything in 2.0 and 2.1, so it is the most comprehensive target.

How to Test Against WCAG 2.2

1. Run an automated scan: OnePageAudit checks your page against critical WCAG 2.2 AA criteria and maps each violation to the specific WCAG rule.
2. Manual keyboard testing: Tab through your entire site. Verify focus is visible, no traps exist, and all interactive elements are reachable.
3. Screen reader testing: Use NVDA (free, Windows) or VoiceOver (built into macOS) to navigate your site.
4. Check the new 2.2 criteria: Pay attention to target sizes (2.5.8), focus visibility (2.4.11), and authentication flows (3.3.8).

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