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WCAG 2.2 was published by the W3C in October 2023. It adds nine new success criteria to WCAG 2.1, though one (4.1.1 Parsing) was removed at the same time. If your last audit was against WCAG 2.1, here is what changed and whether you need to update your compliance assessment.

What is new in WCAG 2.2

WCAG 2.2 adds the following new success criteria at Level A and AA:

Level A (must-have):

  • 3.2.6 Consistent Help: help mechanisms that appear across multiple pages must appear in the same relative location
  • 3.3.7 Redundant Entry: users should not have to enter the same information twice in the same session
  • 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum): cognitive function tests should not be the only login method

Level AA:

  • 2.4.11 Focus Appearance (Minimum): keyboard focus indicators must meet minimum size and contrast requirements
  • 2.5.7 Dragging Movements: any functionality requiring dragging must have a single-pointer alternative
  • 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum): interactive touch targets must be at least 24x24 CSS pixels

Level AAA (advisory, not required for standard compliance):

  • 2.4.12 Focus Appearance (Enhanced)
  • 2.4.13 Focus Appearance (Enhanced contrast)
  • 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced)

Who needs to meet WCAG 2.2 in the UK

The UK Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 currently reference WCAG 2.1 AA. Government guidance has not yet mandated 2.2, though this is expected to change. GDS has indicated that services should be working toward 2.2 compliance.

For private sector organisations, EN 301 549 (the European accessibility standard that underpins the EAA) has been updated to align with WCAG 2.2. If your product is subject to EAA obligations from June 2025, you should be targeting WCAG 2.2 AA.

For any organisation voluntarily aiming for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, upgrading to 2.2 is a relatively small additional effort, particularly if you have a recent 2.1 audit as a baseline.

What a WCAG 2.2 audit involves

A full WCAG 2.2 AA audit covers all applicable Level A and AA success criteria, including the new additions. For most products with an existing 2.1 audit, a gap assessment against the new criteria can be done in one to two days.

For a product with no prior audit, a full WCAG 2.2 audit covers:

  • Automated scanning across key page templates
  • Manual keyboard navigation testing
  • Screen reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
  • Specific testing of focus indicators, target sizes, dragging interactions, and authentication flows
  • A structured conformance report with per-criterion pass/fail verdicts
  • Prioritised remediation recommendations

I produce WCAG 2.2 audit reports for UK and EU-facing products. Get in touch to scope an audit.