Accessibility
WCAG 2.2 Level AA
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 · W3C Recommendation, 5 October 2023, updated 12 December 2024 · ISO/IEC 40500:2025
WCAG 2.2 is the current W3C standard for making websites, web apps, and online documents usable by people with disabilities. Level AA, the level contracts and policies usually ask for, means meeting 55 success criteria. Content that meets WCAG 2.2 also meets WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.0, so it covers the versions Ontario, US, and EU rules name today.
Track WCAG 2.2What is new in 2.2
Last updated 14 October 2026
Key facts about WCAG 2.2
- Published: W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023; the current version is dated 12 December 2024.
- Size: 4 principles, 13 guidelines, and 86 success criteria: 31 at Level A, 24 at Level AA, and 31 at Level AAA.
- Level AA: all 55 Level A and Level AA success criteria, on full pages and complete processes.
- New since WCAG 2.1: 9 success criteria; 4.1.1 Parsing removed as obsolete.
- Also an ISO standard: ISO/IEC 40500:2025 is identical to the October 2023 version.
- Backward compatible: the W3C says content that meets WCAG 2.2 also meets WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.0.
- Europe: EN 301 549 V4.1.1, published in September 2026, is based on WCAG 2.2.
What does WCAG 2.2 add?
Nine success criteria, most of them aimed at people who use a keyboard, people with limited dexterity, and people with cognitive disabilities.
| Success criterion | Level | In plain words |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) | AA | The item with keyboard focus is not completely hidden by sticky headers, banners, or chat windows. |
| 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) | AAA | No part of the focused item is hidden. |
| 2.4.13 Focus Appearance | AAA | The focus indicator is large enough and has enough contrast to see. |
| 2.5.7 Dragging Movements | AA | Anything done by dragging can also be done with single clicks or taps. |
| 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) | AA | Buttons and links are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or spaced so they are not easy to hit by mistake. |
| 3.2.6 Consistent Help | A | Help, such as contact details or a chat link, is in the same place on every page that offers it. |
| 3.3.7 Redundant Entry | A | People are not asked to type the same information twice in one process. |
| 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) | AA | Signing in does not depend on a memory or puzzle test unless there is another way, such as a password manager, copy and paste, or a passkey. |
| 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) | AAA | As above, without the exceptions for recognizing objects or personal content. |
Success criterion 4.1.1 Parsing is marked "obsolete and removed" in WCAG 2.2, because assistive technology no longer reads HTML source directly.
Who requires WCAG 2.2?
Laws still name earlier versions, but WCAG 2.2 Level AA satisfies each of them, and it is the version the W3C asks you to use.
| Rule | Version named | Does WCAG 2.2 AA cover it? |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario AODA, O. Reg. 191/11, s. 14 | WCAG 2.0 Level AA | Yes |
| US ADA Title II rule (2024) | WCAG 2.1 Level AA | Yes |
| EU: European Accessibility Act and Web Accessibility Directive | WCAG 2.1 Level AA through EN 301 549 V3.2.1; V4.1.1 (September 2026) uses WCAG 2.2 once cited in the Official Journal | Yes |
Working to WCAG 2.2 now also puts you closest to WCAG 3, which the W3C expects to build on WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA. See WCAG 3 readiness.
How Lavawall® helps you work to WCAG 2.2
- Find issues on your public pages. The Lavawall domain scan includes accessibility checks against WCAG 2.2 Level AA, so you see the problems a machine can detect, page by page, and can check again after each fix.
- Track the framework. Turn on WCAG 2.2 in the compliance area, keep scan reports, manual test notes, and your accessibility statement as evidence on each answer, and assign every gap an owner and a date.
- Answer once for several rules. Use WCAG 2.2 beside the Ontario AODA, ADA Title II, and WCAG 2.0 frameworks, so the work done for the newest version shows up where an older one is required.
- For MSPs: scan and track every client's sites from one console.
Automated checks find only part of what WCAG 2.2 asks for. Lavawall does not certify conformance or make a site compliant; it shows where you stand and keeps the evidence together.
Related
Primary sources: W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, What's New in WCAG 2.2, and the WCAG 2 Overview; AccessibleEU, The European accessibility standard EN 301 549 has been updated. Last verified 14 October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is WCAG 2.2?
WCAG 2.2 is version 2.2 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the W3C standard for making web content usable by people with disabilities. It became a W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023, was updated on 12 December 2024, and is also published as ISO/IEC 40500:2025. It has 86 success criteria at Levels A, AA, and AAA; Level AA, the usual target, means meeting the 55 at Levels A and AA.
What is new in WCAG 2.2?
Nine success criteria were added to WCAG 2.1: Focus Not Obscured (Minimum and Enhanced), Focus Appearance, Dragging Movements, Target Size (Minimum), Consistent Help, Redundant Entry, and Accessible Authentication (Minimum and Enhanced). Six of them are at Level A or AA. Success criterion 4.1.1 Parsing was removed as obsolete.
If we meet WCAG 2.2, do we also meet WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.0?
Yes. The W3C says content that meets WCAG 2.2 also meets WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.0, because each version keeps the earlier success criteria and adds new ones. That is why most organizations work to WCAG 2.2 Level AA and report against the version a law names.
Which laws require WCAG 2.2?
As of 14 October 2026, the main rules in Canada, the US, and the EU still name earlier versions: WCAG 2.0 Level AA in Ontario's AODA, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA in the US Department of Justice ADA Title II rule and in EN 301 549 V3.2.1. EN 301 549 V4.1.1, published in September 2026, is based on WCAG 2.2 and becomes the European reference once it is cited in the Official Journal. The W3C encourages everyone to use the latest version.
Can an automated scan tell us whether our site meets WCAG 2.2?
Only in part. Automated checks reliably find issues such as missing text alternatives, unlabelled fields, low contrast, and a missing page language, but many success criteria need a person to judge them, for example whether a text alternative describes the image or whether an error message explains how to fix the error. Use a scan to find and fix what a machine can catch, then test by hand with a keyboard and a screen reader.
Does Lavawall make our website WCAG 2.2 compliant?
No tool can do that on its own. Lavawall finds the issues automated checks can detect, tracks the WCAG 2.2 framework with the evidence behind each answer, and keeps gaps assigned until they are fixed. The fixes, the manual testing, and any conformance statement are yours.