Summary
The recent Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 update brings improvements to aspects of operating and understanding websites. This is our second in a three-part blog series giving you a tour of the updates.
Introduction
The long-awaited Web Content Accessibility Guidelines update, WCAG 2.2, is now scheduled to be released in May 2023.
If you haven’t already, check out our insights into the first four guideline updates in our blog Understanding WCAG 2.2 Part One.
WCAG 2.2 is expected to come packaged with nine new success criteria. The W3C also processed comments from candidate recommendation publications and accepted additional implementations for the new criterion, 2.5.7: Dragging Movements. Let’s take a look at the next three expected changes.
Potential new guidelines
2.5.7 Dragging Movements (Level AA)
2.5.7 Requires that an alternative to dragging movements, such as swiping away notifications on mobile, be provided. This differs from 2.5.1: Pointer Gestures, which requires alternatives to path-based gestures. 2.5.7 focuses instead upon dragging, where the beginning and end point matter rather than the path of the pointer. An exception is provided for actions required to operate a user agent or assistive technology.
2.5.8: Target Size Minimum (Level AA)
Similar to Google and Apple’s existing development specifications, 2.5.8 will specify a minimum size for interactive elements. This will apply to all clickable objects, such as buttons and links.
Currently, the specification lists a minimum of 24 by 24 CSS pixels for click targets, with exceptions for essential features and controls where a compliant alternative is provided. This one is going to be a huge boon for those of us with shaky hands or poor coordination.
3.2.6: Consistent Help (Level A)
This criterion requires that any customer service or accessibility contact information appears consistent across pages. If “Contact Us” info is found in the footer, it should consistently appear in the footer across pages as users navigate throughout the website.
It’s important to note that this criterion is concerned with consistency across a given presentation. What this means is that a website can maintain a different location for help information on mobile as opposed to desktop as long as all pages in each presentation use a consistent location for such information. It’s also okay to provide a link in a consistent location which directs users to another page containing the help information.
Conclusion
WCAG 2.2 comes packaged with nine new success criteria designed to improve the operation and understanding of websites. The three new and updated criteria make it easier for users with mobility disabilities to interact with interfaces and improves access to accessibility assistance. WCAG 2.2 will not replace WCAG 2.1, but it does provide much-needed improvements to the current set of guidelines.
Now would be a good time to bookmark the WCAG 2.2 updates page, explore WCAG 2.2, and start a conversation with us about how we can help you prepare for WCAG 2.2 and beyond. We are always only an email or a phone call away.
Check out Part Three to learn more about the rest of the success criteria!
