What is WCAG 2.2 AA compliance?

WCAG 2.2 AA compliance means your website or application meets all 86 Level A and Level AA success criteria defined in the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 (published October 2023). Level AA is the widely accepted legal benchmark — it excludes the stricter Level AAA criteria that are not feasible for all content types.

What are the 9 new criteria in WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 added 9 new success criteria compared to WCAG 2.1: 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced, AAA), 2.4.13 Focus Appearance (AAA), 2.5.7 Dragging Movements, 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), 3.2.6 Consistent Help, 3.3.7 Redundant Entry, 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum), and 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced, AAA). Criterion 4.1.1 Parsing was removed. At Level AA, the practical additions are 2.4.11, 2.5.7, 2.5.8, 3.2.6, 3.3.7, and 3.3.8.

Is WCAG 2.2 mandatory?

WCAG 2.2 is not a law itself — it is a technical standard. However, multiple laws mandate conformance with WCAG or equivalent: the European Accessibility Act (via EN 301 549, expected to reference WCAG 2.2 in v4.1.1 from October 2026), France's RGAA (WCAG 2.1 now, WCAG 2.2 expected in RGAA 5 late 2026), and the US DOJ ADA Title II rule (WCAG 2.1 AA, April 2024). Organizations that meet WCAG 2.2 AA automatically satisfy WCAG 2.1 AA requirements.

What is the difference between WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 adds 9 success criteria to 2.1 (6 at AA level) and removes the obsolete 4.1.1 Parsing criterion. The new criteria focus on: keyboard focus visibility (2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured), pointer interaction (2.5.7 Dragging, 2.5.8 Target Size), user experience consistency (3.2.6 Consistent Help, 3.3.7 Redundant Entry), and cognitive accessibility in authentication (3.3.8 Accessible Authentication). Content passing WCAG 2.2 AA is backward-compatible with 2.1 AA.

Can an overlay or widget make my site WCAG 2.2 compliant?

No. Automated overlays don't deliver WCAG compliance and can break the experience for assistive-technology users — the US DOJ, the NFB and the ACB have all said so, and courts haven't accepted overlays as a defense. scan-access.com takes the opposite approach: it never touches your store, it documents your good-faith effort with a dated, verifiable report you can hand to a lawyer.

Does WCAG 2.2 apply to mobile apps?

WCAG 2.2 is primarily a web standard (HTML/CSS/JS). Mobile native apps are covered by separate standards: for EU, EN 301 549 Chapter 11 (non-web software) applies; for iOS/Android, Apple and Google publish platform-specific accessibility APIs. WCAG 2.2 principles are widely used as a reference for mobile audits, but the technical implementation differs from web. The upcoming RGAA 5 explicitly extends scope to mobile applications.

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WCAG 2.2 AA

WCAG 2.2 AA is the version courts, regulators and procurement teams actually check against in 2026. Published by the W3C in October 2023, it adds 9 new success criteria to WCAG 2.1 (6 at the AA level you're judged on) and retires the obsolete Parsing rule. The new ones target real e-commerce pain: a focus ring hidden behind a sticky header, drag-only sliders, tap targets too small to hit, no-CAPTCHA logins. Meet WCAG 2.2 AA and you automatically satisfy 2.1 AA — so it's the safest single target whether your exposure is the EAA, the ADA, the RGAA or Section 508.

Status

W3C / WAI

In force

2023

Auto coverage

~35 %

Detailed coverage

What ScanAccess detects on WCAG 2.2 AA

2.4.11Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)Auto
2.4.12Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced)Auto
2.5.7Dragging MovementsAuto
2.5.8Target Size (Minimum)Auto
3.2.6Consistent HelpAuto
3.3.7Redundant EntryAuto
3.3.8Accessible Authentication (Minimum)Auto
1.1.1Non-text ContentAuto
1.4.3Contrast (Minimum)Auto
4.1.2Name, Role, ValueAuto

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