WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation in October 2023, adding nine new success criteria to the existing WCAG 2.1 standard. If your site targets WCAG 2.1 AA compliance today, you're likely missing several important new requirements. Here's what changed and what you need to do.
What's New in WCAG 2.2
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) — Level AA
When a user navigates to a UI component via keyboard, the component must not be entirely hidden by sticky headers, cookie banners, or other overlapping content. Partially visible is acceptable at this level, but completely hidden is not.
What to do: Ensure your sticky navigation and cookie consent banners account for focused elements. Use scroll-margin-top in CSS to offset scroll position.
2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) — Level AAA
The stricter version: the focused component must be fully visible. This is AAA, so it's optional for most compliance targets, but it's worth aiming for.
2.4.13 Focus Appearance — Level AA
The keyboard focus indicator must meet a minimum size and contrast ratio. Specifically, the focus indicator must:
- Enclose the component
- Have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 between focused and unfocused states
- Have an area of at least the perimeter of the unfocused component × 2 CSS pixels
What to do: Avoid removing outline: none without providing a strong custom focus style. Use focus-visible pseudo-class for cleaner keyboard-only indicators.
2.5.7 Dragging Movements — Level AA
Any functionality that requires dragging must also be operable with a single pointer (click/tap) without dragging. This helps users with motor impairments who cannot perform drag gestures.
What to do: Provide alternative controls (buttons, dropdowns) for drag-and-drop interfaces like kanban boards, sliders, and file upload zones.
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) — Level AA
Interactive targets must be at least 24×24 CSS pixels, OR have sufficient spacing so the total target area is at least 24×24 pixels.
What to do: Audit small icon buttons and inline links. Increase padding, not just icon size. 44×44 is still the recommended size for comfortable touch interaction.
3.2.6 Consistent Help — Level A
If a website provides a help mechanism (chat, phone number, email) on multiple pages, it must appear in the same relative location across pages.
What to do: Standardize where help links, live chat widgets, and contact info appear across your site.
3.3.7 Redundant Entry — Level A
Users must not have to re-enter information they've already provided in the same session, unless re-entry is essential or for security.
What to do: Pre-fill forms with previously submitted data where possible. Store billing/shipping addresses between checkout steps.
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) — Level AA
Authentication processes must not require solving cognitive function tests (CAPTCHAs, puzzles, memorizing codes) unless an alternative method is available.
What to do: Offer at least one CAPTCHA-free auth path: passkeys, magic links, or OAuth. If using CAPTCHA, provide an audio or alternative version.
3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) — Level AAA
No cognitive function tests at all in authentication — full stop.
What Was Removed
4.1.3 Status Messages remains, but 1.3.4 Orientation and 1.4.10 Reflow are updated. Notably, WCAG 2.2 removes 4.1.1 Parsing, which required valid HTML. Modern browser handling makes this criterion obsolete.
Practical Next Steps
- Run a WCAG 2.2 audit — tools like Naive AI now test for all new 2.2 criteria
- Prioritize Level A and AA — 2.5.8, 3.3.7, 3.3.8, and 2.4.11 are the highest-impact new criteria
- Update your VPAT — if you have an existing Accessibility Conformance Report, revise it to reference WCAG 2.2
- Train your team — developers often don't know about Focus Appearance and Target Size requirements
WCAG 2.2 reflects how people actually use the web today: on touch devices, with cognitive differences, and with motor disabilities. Compliance isn't just about avoiding lawsuits — it's about building products that work for everyone.