WCAG 2.2 is the current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines standard from W3C. It explains how to make web content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for people with disabilities. Most organisations target Level AA.
Some laws and contracts still name WCAG 2.0 or 2.1. Meeting WCAG 2.2 generally includes the earlier 2.0 and 2.1 success criteria, apart from the obsolete Parsing criterion removed in 2.2. This guide explains the standard, the version question, and what a credible audit should test.
Start with the explanation below, use the 30-point accessibility checklist for a practical review, or explore our WCAG audit and code-level remediation service.
What is WCAG?
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It is a technical standard published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation in October 2023; earlier versions remain named in some laws, regulations, and contracts.
These guidelines define what an accessible website looks like: how content should be structured, how interactive elements should behave, and what accommodations must be made for users with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities.
WCAG is a technical standard, not a legal opinion. Different frameworks incorporate or refer to different versions and levels. For example, the US DOJ Title II web rule names WCAG 2.1 AA, while Ontario’s AODA website guidance names WCAG 2.0 AA with stated exceptions. A project should document the required baseline and may test against WCAG 2.2 AA as the broader current target.
The Three Conformance Levels: A, AA, and AAA
WCAG has three levels of conformance:
Level A - Minimum Accessibility
Level A addresses the most critical barriers - those that make a website completely unusable for people with certain disabilities. Examples include: providing text alternatives for images, ensuring all functionality works with a keyboard, and not using color as the only way to convey information.
Most websites should already meet Level A. If they don’t, they are likely inaccessible in fundamental ways.
Level AA - Standard Compliance (The Legal Target)
Level AA is the target most laws and regulations point to. It includes everything in Level A plus additional requirements such as:
- Minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text
- Captions for all live video
- Consistent navigation structure across pages
- Visible focus indicators for keyboard navigation
- Descriptive error messages in forms
When a business or government is told their website must be “WCAG compliant,” they are almost always being asked to meet Level AA.
Level AAA - Enhanced Accessibility
Level AAA includes the most advanced requirements - sign language interpretation for video, extended audio descriptions, a 7:1 contrast ratio for text. The W3C itself acknowledges that Level AAA cannot be achieved in full for all content types. It is an aspiration rather than a universal requirement, and very few laws mandate it.
The practical baseline: target Level AA, record the version required by the applicable rule or contract, and use WCAG 2.2 for current best-practice coverage where appropriate.
The Four Principles: POUR
WCAG is organised around four fundamental principles. Every guideline and success criterion falls under one of these four categories. You can remember them with the acronym POUR.
1. Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This means users cannot be required to use only a single sense (sight or hearing) to access content.
In practice:
- All images must have alt text descriptions
- Videos need captions and, where necessary, audio descriptions
- Text must have sufficient contrast against backgrounds
- Content cannot be conveyed through color alone
A user who is blind using a screen reader, or a deaf user watching a video without sound, must be able to access all meaningful information.
2. Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable. Users cannot be required to use a mouse or touch screen to interact with your website.
In practice:
- All interactive elements (menus, buttons, forms, carousels) must be keyboard accessible
- There must be no keyboard traps (situations where the keyboard focus cannot escape)
- Users must have enough time to complete tasks - no aggressive session timeouts
- Nothing on the page should flash more than 3 times per second
A user with motor disabilities who relies on a keyboard, switch access device, or voice recognition software must be able to fully use your website.
3. Understandable
Information and the operation of the interface must be understandable. Users must be able to comprehend both the content and how to interact with the website.
In practice:
- The language of the page must be identified in the HTML code
- Navigation must be consistent across pages
- Inputs must have clear labels and helpful error messages
- Unusual words or abbreviations should be defined
A user with cognitive disabilities, a non-native language speaker, or a first-time visitor must be able to understand what your website is saying and how to complete tasks on it.
4. Robust
Content must be robust enough to be reliably interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. As technology evolves, your content must remain accessible.
In practice:
- HTML must be valid and well-formed
- Interactive components must have proper accessible names and roles
- ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes must be used correctly
- Custom widgets must expose their state (expanded/collapsed, selected/unselected) to assistive technology
A user on any device, browser, or assistive technology - now and in the future - must be able to access your content.
Why WCAG Compliance Matters for Your Business
Accessibility is often framed as a compliance problem. It is actually a business opportunity.
Larger Audience
Approximately 15% of the world’s population has some form of disability. In the United States alone, that is over 60 million people. Making your website accessible means more potential customers can engage with it.
Better SEO
Many WCAG requirements directly improve search engine optimization: descriptive alt text for images, semantic heading structure, descriptive link text, and fast load times all contribute to better Google rankings.
Better Risk and Governance Evidence
Reducing accessibility barriers and keeping accurate audit and remediation records gives users a better experience and gives stakeholders reliable evidence of the work performed. Legal counsel should determine how that evidence relates to a specific claim or obligation.
Improved Usability for Everyone
Accessibility improvements almost always benefit all users, not just those with disabilities. Captions help users watching in noisy environments. High contrast text is easier to read in bright sunlight. Keyboard accessibility is useful for power users. Clear error messages help everyone fill out forms correctly.
How to Get Started
Getting started with WCAG compliance does not require rebuilding your website from scratch. Start with an audit:
Automated Testing
Run your website through the WAVE tool (wave.webaim.org) or the axe DevTools browser extension. These tools identify obvious issues like missing alt text, missing form labels, and contrast failures within minutes.
Manual Testing
Attempt to navigate your entire website using only your keyboard - no mouse. If you get stuck anywhere, that is a Level A failure. Use your browser’s zoom function and increase text size to 200% - everything should still be readable and functional.
Prioritized Remediation
Tackle the most critical and most commonly litigated issues first: alt text, color contrast, form labels, keyboard accessibility, and descriptive link text. A professional accessibility audit provides a prioritized remediation plan with specific code-level fixes.
At eLan Technology, we design and test websites against an agreed WCAG Level AA baseline and offer standalone accessibility audits for existing websites. Our audit and remediation service combines automated checks, manual testing, source-level fixes, and retesting.
What WCAG 2.2 Added
WCAG 2.2 was published in October 2023 and adds nine success criteria, including Focus Not Obscured, Dragging Movements, Target Size (Minimum), Consistent Help, Redundant Entry, and Accessible Authentication at Level A or AA. It generally includes the earlier 2.0 and 2.1 criteria, apart from the obsolete Parsing criterion removed in 2.2.
Summary
WCAG 2.2 is the current internationally recognised technical standard for accessible web content. It is organised around four principles - Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust - and provides testable success criteria at Levels A, AA, and AAA.
Start with an audit, fix barriers that block important tasks, retest the result, and build accessibility into every future update. Use our accessibility checklist for a first review or request a hybrid WCAG audit.