WCAG 2.2: What you need to know

In today’s digital age, ensuring that web content is accessible to everyone—regardless of their abilities or disabilities—is no longer just a best practice: it’s a necessity. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standard developed to achieve this goal.

The most recent version, WCAG 2.2, published in October 2023, introduces significant improvements aimed at expanding inclusion in digital environments. In this article, we explain what WCAG 2.2 is, why it’s important, what’s new, and how you can start applying it.

What is WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 is a set of technical guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)—an international organization based in the United States that develops the standards that ensure the web continues to grow and function in an accessible way for all.

Its goal is to make digital content: such as websites, mobile apps, or interactive platforms, accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities, older adults, or those who may face challenges when interacting with digital environments.

These guidelines provide detailed criteria to ensure that information is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

They are based on four key principles:

1. Perceivable: Information must be presented in a way that users can perceive it, such as by including alternative text for images.
2. Operable: Users must be able to navigate the website, even if they only use a keyboard.
3. Understandable: Content should be clear, consistent, and easy to follow.
4. Robust: The website must be able to function properly across different browsers and assistive technologies.

Version 2.2, released in October 2023, builds on previous versions (2.0 and 2.1), incorporating new recommendations focused on improving the experience for users with cognitive or mobility-related disabilities, as well as those using mobile devices.

What’s new in WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 adds nine new success criteria, many of which are designed to make it easier for users to navigate and interact with digital content, especially on mobile devices or for individuals with cognitive or physical challenges. A few notable examples include:

1. Focus Not Obscured (2.4.11 – Level AA):When an element receives keyboard focus (for example, when navigating with the tab key), it must be visible to the user. In other words, nothing should cover it or prevent it from being seen.
2. Dragging Movements (2.5.7 – Level AA):There must be an alternative to complex gestures like dragging with a finger (drag and drop), which can be difficult for people with limited mobility.
3. Redundant Entry (3.3.7 – Level A):The site should not require users to enter the same information more than once during a process, such as filling out a form or completing a registration. This helps reduce the cognitive load for many users.

Legal situation in Spain: Is it mandatory to comply with WCAG 2.2?

Although WCAG guidelines do not have the force of law on their own, as they are issued by a private organization, their adoption as a technical standard is widely recognized internationally.

In the European context, and specifically in Spain, the new Law 11/2023—commonly referred to as the "Accessibility Law"—sets out clear accessibility obligations for private companies that offer products or services online, aligning with EU Directive 2019/882. This law requires that, as of 28 June 2025, all new websites and apps comply with accessibility criteria, and that existing services be adapted before 2030.

Law 11/2023 on accessibility

Although the law does not specifically mention WCAG 2.2, it does refer to technical standards such as:

• UNE 139803, the Spanish standard for accessible web content.
• EN 301 549, the European standard that is already aligned with WCAG 2.1 and is expected to be updated to incorporate WCAG 2.2.

This set of European requirements, which is currently aligned with WCAG 2.1, will likely be updated to reflect version 2.2.

Why is it important to comply with WCAG?

Adapting your website or app to accessibility guidelines brings both legal and practical benefits:

• Ensures compliance with regulations and prevents potential fines
• Expands your reach to new audiences
• Improves SEO and visibility
• Strengthens your brand image as an inclusive company
• Increases conversion rates in key processes (sign-ups, purchases, contact forms)

How to start adapting to WCAG 2.2

You don’t need to rebuild your entire website from scratch or be an accessibility expert. Here are some practical steps to get started:

• Evaluate your website: Use tools like Lawwwing to identify the most obvious errors.
• Prioritize the essentials: Start with key pages (home, contact, registration, forms…) and fix high-impact issues such as missing labels, low contrast, inaccessible buttons, etc.
• Make small, visible improvements: Add alt text to images, increase color contrast, improve text size and legibility, and ensure everything can be done using only a keyboard.
• Get your team involved: Designers, content creators, and developers should follow a shared accessibilty guide to avoid inconsistencies and new errors.
• Test with real users: If possible, have people who use assistive technologies or who have different abilities test your site. Their feedback is the most reliable way to know if your website is truly accessible.
• Document and train: Keep an internal guide of best practices to ensure that new content or future updates maintain your accessibility standards.

Conclusion

Digital accessibility is no longer optional. Adapting to WCAG 2.2 not only improves the experience for all users, it also prepares your business for the legal changes ahead. The sooner you start, the easier it will be to meet the June 2025 deadline and offer a truly inclusive digital experience.

Making your website accessible doesn’t mean making it more complex. It means making it clearer, more usable, and more human. And that benefits everyone.

Do you have questions about whether your website is compliant? Do you need help getting up to date with the regulations?

We’re here to help from Lawwwing.