The official release of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 version has been postponed from 2020 and is expected to roll out during the summer of 2021. However, there is a WCAG 2.2 draft that is available and outlining most of the upcoming changes. This gives some time for preparation to developers and managers who want to make web pages more accessible based on the 2.0 and 2.1 updates. In the new WCAG 2.2 Checklist, the success criterion has changed and there are more updates than the two previous versions. The Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA remain unchanged as they did in the previous WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1 versions!

For those of you who don’t know, the success criteria are checkpoints that you need to fulfill so that your web pages are accessible for people with disabilities. Below, we are expanding on the changes in detail!

WCAG covers web accessibility of all content and is not specific to any technology or industry. As the W3C pointed out, the update provides additional support for all users with cognitive and learning disabilities, people with low vision, and those with disabilities on mobile devices!

In plain words, the new success criteria of the web accessibility guidelines are going to bring more clarity to the electronic publications that have page numbers, updates in dragging, clicking and tapping, as well as updates in the login pages and auto-filled forms!

There are eight new success criteria that are expected to be rolled out with WCAG 2.2. They include the following:

Just like the web content guidelines before (WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1), there are different conformance levels within the new WCAG 2.2, and the best place to start with this checklist is at Level A (Beginner). Moving on to the Level AA (Intermediate) and the Level AAA (Advanced) would then be easier!

People with impairments can get rid of the difficulties they have when targeting or operating small controls. From users with mobility impairments to people who are exposed to shaking in certain environments, the new standards are designed to help everyone, including normal people who can find it easy to access a device using one hand, or people with larger fingers who have troubles operating their devices!

All of the items above are deemed essential in the new version of WCAG 2.2. From headings and labels to adding the purpose of each link, these standards are changing and taking many new forms!

The WCAG Working Group, however, also supports using different techniques as long as you play by the rules. More information can be found in the Understanding Techniques for WCAG Success Criteria document, particularly the “Other Techniques” section!

All in all, the brand new WCAG 2.2 draft takes changes based on the WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1. It transforms them to become part of the new standards for accessibility (WCAG) and makes it easier for users to access the content!