Understanding the Latest Changes in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2

We're excited to share that our Digital Quality Management product (DQM) has been updated to the latest WCAG 2.2 standard, released on October 5, 2023. 

What is WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 is the newest version of web content accessibility guidelines that introduces 9 new Success Criteria (SC). All existing WCAG 2.1 SC are still valid and incorporated into this new standard. 

The 2.0 and 2.1 success criteria are mostly the same in 2.2, except for the removal of 4.1.1 Parsing. Refer to WCAG 2 FAQ, 4.1.1 Parsing for more information. 

New Checkpoints in WCAG 2.2:

Apart from reviewing new Success Criteria, we've also assessed WCAG 2.1 for potential new checkpoints. Contact your Customer Success Manager for the complete list in the DQM Best Practice library. 

Updates in the Accessibility Page 

The new Accessibility page introduces changes like: 

• 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (Level AA): Ensure keyboard-focused items are partially visible. 
• 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) (Level AAA): Ensure keyboard-focused items are fully visible. 
• 2.4.13 Focus Appearance (Level AAA): Use a focus indicator of sufficient size and contrast. 
• 2.5.7 Dragging Movements (Level AA): Provide a simple pointer alternative for dragging actions. 
• 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA): Ensure targets meet a minimum size or have sufficient spacing around them. 
• 3.2.6 Consistent Help (Level A): Place help consistently across multiple pages. 

Other Notable Changes: 

• 3.3.7 Redundant Entry (Level A): Avoid asking for the same information twice in a session. 
• 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) (Level AA): Simplify login processes. 
• 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) (Level AAA): Avoid recognition of objects or user-supplied images for login. 

New WCAG Mapping page in DQM:

A new page has been introduced for administrators, providing clear insights into the checkpoints that cover specific WCAG 2.2 success criteria. The view also highlights which checkpoints contribute to your benchmarking score.

WCAG 2.2 Mapping Screen

Additional Changes: 

• Checkpoints will be updated to the most appropriate success criteria. 
• Expect more checkpoints to apply to multiple success criteria. 
• WCAG level counting will include each appearance of a checkpoint on a success criterion, affecting the calculation of A, AA, and AAA issue counts. 

Providing Feedback on DQM: Feel free to share your comments in our new interactive roadmap portal - DQM Roadmap Portal or contact your Customer Success Manager.