WCAG 2.2 The next step towards web accessibility

WCAG 2.2 – The Key to Accessible Web Design

If you haven't heard of the term before, it's about making websites accessible to everyone, regardless of any disability. Here I tell you about the new WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and why I think it is important, especially now that the new Accessibility Directive comes into force from June 28, 2025.

What is WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 is the latest version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines are developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) itself and serve as a standard for creating accessible web content. Each new version of WCAG builds on previous versions, which means that WCAG 2.2 includes and expands on the requirements of WCAG 2.1.

New Features in WCAG 2.2

While I think WCAG 2.1 put a lot of emphasis on mobile accessibility and more for users who have high visual impairments, WCAG 2.2 takes another step for those users who also have some type of cognitive impairment.

Here are the new guidelines added to WCAG 2.2.

• 2.4.11: Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (AA)
• 2.4.12: Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) (AAA)
• 2.4.13: Focus Appearance (AAA)
• 2.5.7: Dragging Movements (AA)
• 2.5.8: Target Size (Minimum) (AA)
• 3.2.6: Consistent Help (A)
• 3.3.7: Redundant Entry (A)
• 3.3.8: Accessible Authentication (Minimum) (AA)
• 3.3.9: Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) (AAA)

You can read more about the new guidelines at W3C here

Code samples for developers

Here I have produced some code examples for the developers who are interested when implementing the new WCAG 2.2 requirements

Motion sensors

Requirement: Users should be able to disable motion sensor features or use an alternative interface method.
Code: If you have an interface that responds to gyroscope or accelerometer data, give the user an option to turn this off.

Hidden controls

Requirement: On mobile or touch devices, necessary controls should be visible without user interaction.
Code: Instead of hiding a necessary menu behind a hover effect, make sure it's visible right away.

Editable text

Requirement: Users should be able to turn off features that automatically change or correct user-entered text.
Code: If you have JavaScript that automatically corrects text entered in a form field, you can give the user an option to turn this off.

Why is WCAG Important for SEO?

For me, accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO) go hand in hand.
Websites that follow accessibility guidelines, such as the new WCAG 2.2 guidelines, offer a better user experience for more people, which leads to longer visit times to your website, but it also leads to better SEO.

My tip is to use some of the best rules of thumb for accessibility; use of semantic HTML, and clear descriptive links. Then you improve the website's SEO, which contributes to a higher ranking in Google's search engine. During my years as a developer, I have also noticed that if you build a website with high accessibility, your potential audience and market also increases.

Conclusion

With the Web Accessibility Directive, which is getting closer day by day, WCAG 2.2 is not only a set of new guidelines to follow, it is also a bridge to better SEO and a better user experience. By staying up-to-date with the latest accessibility standards, businesses and developers can not only reach a wider audience but also rank higher in search results.

So if you want your website to be at the forefront of both accessibility and search engine optimization, my recommendation is that you start implementing the new guidelines in WCAG 2.2 in your projects today, and that you keep your website's accessibility standards up to date. Good luck!