What's New in WCAG 2.2 Working Draft

Introduction

For an introduction to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and more about versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2, see the WCAG Overview.

WCAG 2.2 is scheduled to be completed and published in 2021. Current drafts:

• WCAG 2.2 Working Draft is approved to be posted as a draft
• Editors’ Draft of WCAG 2.2 may have more recent updates that are not yet approved

If you have comments on the WCAG 2.2 Draft: Please submit any comments on the proposed new success criteria by 4 June 2021. Ideally open one new GitHub issue per discrete comment. If you’re not comfortable with GitHub, you can send comments to public-agwg-comments@w3.org

Changes from WCAG 2.1 to WCAG 2.2

All success criteria from 2.0 and 2.1 are included in 2.2. The 2.0 and 2.1 success criteria are exactly the same (verbatim, word-for-word) in 2.2. One changed level: 2.4.7 Focus Visible is changed from Level AA in WCAG 2.1 to Level A in WCAG 2.2.

WCAG 2.2 Working Draft provides 9 additional success criteria, that are included on this page.

Changes to 2.2 Working Draft

Changes from the 11 August 2020 to 11 May 2021 Working Draft include:

• Accessible authentication: Incorporates concepts of ‘steps’ to account for multi-factor authentication, and explicitly allows for ‘mechanisms’ like password managers.
• Dragging movement: A very minor wording update.
• Consistent help: Renamed from “Findable help”, and follows the ‘consistent navigation’ criterion more closely.
• Page Break Navigation: Renamed, the criterion text is reduced to focus on content which already implements programmatic page break locators.
• Focus appearance (minimum): Restructured the criterion text, whilst keeping the requirement essentially the same.
• Focus appearance (enhanced): Aligned with the minimum version.
• Visible control: Renamed (from Hidden controls), added several exceptions.
• Target size (minimum): Renamed (from Pointer target Spacing), reduced the core size requirement to 24px, and simplified the criterion text.
• Redundant entry: Removed the ‘steps in a process’ aspect, added a within-session scope, and added several exceptions.

Guideline 2.4 Navigable

Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.

2.4.11 Focus Appearance (Minimum) (AA)

When user interface components receive keyboard focus, all of the following are true:

• Contrasting area: There is an area of the focus indicator that has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 between the colors in the focused and unfocused states.
• Minimum area: The contrasting area is at least as large as:
  • Outline: the area of a 1 CSS pixel thick perimeter of the unfocused component, or
  • Shape: the area of a 4 CSS pixel thick line along the shortest side of a minimum bounding box of the unfocused component, and no thinner than 2 CSS pixels.
• Adjacent contrast: The contrasting area also has a contrast ratio of least 3:1 against adjacent colors in the focused component, or the contrasting area has a thickness of at least 2 CSS pixels.
• Not fully obscured: The item with focus is not entirely hidden by author-created content.

Note

A keyboard focus indicator which has a pattern or gradient may have parts that do not meet the 3:1 contrast ratio for the change of contrast, as long as an area equal to the minimum does meet the contrast ratio.

Note

If the component has a visible boundary smaller than the hit area, or the size of the component is not available, the minimum area can be taken from the visible boundary.

Editor's note

The working group is interested in feedback about the minimum area metric, and if there are unusual scenarios where visible indicators are caught by the wording.

Reporter with repetitive stress injury who doesn't use a mouse:
and Retiree with low contrast sensitivity:

Understanding Focus Appearance (Minimum)

2.4.12 Focus Appearance (Enhanced) (AAA)

When user interface components have keyboard focus, all of the following are true:

• Contrasting area: There is an area of the focus indicator that has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 between the colors in the focused and unfocused states.
• Minimum area: The contrasting area is at least double the area of a 1 CSS pixel perimeter of the unfocused component;
• Not obscured: No part of the focus indicator is hidden by author-created content.

Reporter with repetitive stress injury who doesn't use a mouse:
and Retiree with low contrast sensitivity:

Understanding Focus Appearance (Enhanced)

2.4.13 Page Break Navigation (A)

For web content with page break locators, a mechanism is available to navigate to each locator.

Student with dyslexia:
and Retiree with low vision:

Page Break Navigation

Guideline 2.5 Input Modalities

Make it easier for users to operate functionality through various inputs beyond keyboard.

2.5.7 Dragging (AA)

All functionality that uses a dragging movement for operation can be achieved by a single pointer without dragging, unless dragging is essential.

Note

This requirement applies to web content that interprets pointer actions (i.e. this does not apply to actions that are required to operate the user agent or assistive technology).

Editor's note

Is there an assistive technology that helps for people with mobility impairments? The group would like feedback on the frontier between AT & author responsibility.

Retiree with hand tremor:

Understanding Dragging

2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (AA)

Targets have an area of at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, except where:

• Spacing: The target offset is at least 24 CSS pixels to every adjacent target;
• Inline: The target is in a sentence or block of text;
• Essential: A particular presentation of the target is essential to the information being conveyed.

Note

Targets that allow for values to be selected spatially based on position within the target are considered one target for the purpose of the success criterion. Examples include sliders with granular values, color pickers displaying a gradient of colors, or editable areas where you position the cursor.

Editor's note

Are there issues with internationalization when describing inline links?

Editor's note

Are there issues with pop-over content overlapping targets triggering failures?

Retiree with hand tremor:

Understanding Target Size (Minimum)

Guideline 3.2 Predictable

Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.

3.2.6 Consistent Help (A)

For each web page within a set of web pages that provides one or more of the following ways of finding help, access to at least one form of help is included in the same relative order on each page:

• Human contact details;
• Human contact mechanism;
• Self-help option;
• A fully automated contact mechanism.

Note

Access to help mechanisms may be provided directly on the page, or may be provided via a direct link to a different page containing the information.

Supermarket assistant with cognitive disabilities:

Understanding Consistent Help

3.2.7 Visible Controls (AA)

Where receiving pointer hover or keyboard focus triggers user interface components to be visible, information needed to identify that user interface components are available is visible, except when:

• The information needed to identify the user interface components is available through an equivalent component that is visible on the same page or on a different step in a multi-step process without requiring pointer hover or keyboard focus;
• The component is provided specifically to enhance the experience for keyboard navigation;
• A mechanism is available to make the information persistently visible;
• Hiding the information needed to identify the component is essential.

Note

User interface components can be available through other visible components such as sub-menus, edit buttons, tabs, or thumbnails of media.

Editor's note

The working group is interested in feedback about whether there are Components determined by the user agent that should not be in scope.

Supermarket assistant with cognitive disabilities:

Understanding Visible Controls

Guideline 3.3 Input Assistance

Help users avoid and correct mistakes.

3.3.7 Accessible Authentication (A)

For each step in an authentication process that relies on a cognitive function test, at least one other authentication method is available that does not rely on a cognitive function test, or a mechanism is available to assist the user in completing the cognitive function test.

Note

Examples of mechanisms include: 1) support for password entry by password managers to address the memorization cognitive function test, and 2) copy and paste to help address transcription cognitive function test.

Supermarket assistant with cognitive disabilities:

Understanding Accessible Authentication

3.3.8 Redundant Entry (A)

Information previously entered by or provided to the user that is required to be entered again in the same process and in the same user-session is either:

• auto-populated, or
• available for the user to select.

Except when:

• re-entering the information is essential,
• the information is required to ensure the security of the content, or
• previously entered information is no longer valid.

Editor's note

Are there issues storing the data so a user can access it in subsequent steps?

Editor's note

Are there broader exceptions needed than essential? E.g. for mandated or required information re-entry.

Supermarket assistant with cognitive disabilities:

Understanding Redundant Entry

About the Personas Quotes

The linked persona roles go to the Stories of Web Users. That page has other personas with different disabilities. We might add more in the future.

We plan to add persona quotes to the Understanding WCAG documents.