WCAG 2.2 is final!
We have had to wait a while for WCAG 2.2. Initially, the new version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines was already planned for 2020. There were several calls that the new guidelines would really be arriving soon. The time has come! We would like to tell you more about WCAG 2.2.
WCAG 2.2 is final
The WCAG 2.2 is final. Different versions have been going around for the past two years, and that made it difficult to say exactly what the new web guidelines were going to bring us. Fortunately, we now know more about that.
The completion of the draft phase was scheduled for September 2022. The WCAG 2.2 project will then enter a new phase: Candidate Recommendation. The main purpose of this "candidate recommendation" is that the technical elaboration of the new success criteria can be deployed. This may still change based on experiences during use.
WCAG 2.2 as a European standard?
The latest version is not yet directly part of (Dutch) legislation. This will first require an amendment to European Standard (EN) 301 549. This standard currently still refers 1-to-1 to WCAG 2.1. It may take several months (but also longer) before this standard is amended. Only then will it also be the new standard in the Netherlands.
That does not mean we will sit still until then. Now that WCAG 2.2 is final, we are already going to examine websites and apps for the new success criteria. That way, websites and apps examined by us will also be ready for the legal requirement right away.
Why is WCAG 2.2 important?
WCAG 2.2 brings a number of improvements to websites and apps. Especially for users with cognitive disabilities, there are improvements, but the use of mobile devices (tablets and phones) also improves. Nine new success criteria are introduced for this purpose.
9 new success criteria
WCAG 2.2 brings a total of nine new success criteria. Of these, six are at level A or AA. With this, we examine websites and apps on 55 success criteria from the new version onwards. One success criteria has been removed: 4.1.1 Parsing (level A). The success criteria at level AAA are not part of the legal standard and we only examine them in very specific situations.
2.4.11 Focus uncovered (minimum) (AA)
2.5.7 Drag and drop (AA)
2.5.8 Target area size (minimum) (AA)
3.2.6 Consistent help (A)
3.3.7 Redundant input (A)
3.3.8 Accessible authentication (minimum) (AA)
For level AAA, these criteria have been added:
2.4.12 Focus not obscured
2.4.13 Focus display
3.3.9 Accessible authentication (improved)
What can you do already?
It is now really possible to examine your website for the new guidelines. Not many changes will arise now. In our checklist, we offer an explanation of the new success criteria.
In the meantime, we are following the developments of WCAG 2.2. Our training courses have been updated to cover the new success criteria. Following a training digital accessibility in therefore already gives you a head start.
You can attend the "WCAG 2.2 deepening" with us. In this short training course, we will update you in detail on the impact of the new success criteria. We will also start offering partial surveys in which we examine your website as soon as possible.
Want to start checking your website yourself? Then download our WCAG checklist. It has already been updated with the final success criteria.
