Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the leading international standards for ensuring that digital spaces are accessible to all. This is a key requirement for the inclusion of people with disabilities, who often require specific accommodations to be able to perceive, understand, use, and contribute to digital content. However, many websites and considerable amounts of online content remain inaccessible.

Given the growing complexity of digital spaces, it has become necessary to ensure web accessibility for the 12 million people living with disabilities in France. In this article, we explain WCAG 2.2, the updated set of digital accessibility standards. In particular, we cover its impacts on businesses, including compliance with the guidelines and business’ obligations.

Key takeaways

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is the international standard for digital accessibility. It is a set of guidelines for enhancing the online experience for people with disabilities. Version 2.2 is the most recent set of guidelines, adding nine criteria to version 2.1.
  
• Although businesses are not legally required to comply with WCAG, some French and European laws based on the guidelines – including the General Accessibility Improvement Framework (Référentiel Général d’Amélioration de l’Accessibilité, or RGAA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) – make digital accessibility mandatory
  
• To be considered accessible, online content must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. WCAG 2.2 recommends keeping help features consistent across webpages, providing alternatives to path-based gestures, ensuring focus indicators are visible and clearly marked, creating distinguishable tactile elements, offering accessible authentication procedures, and eliminating redundant tasks.
  
• WCAG has three compliance levels – A, AA, and AAA – and is aimed at those interested in international digital accessibility standards
  
• There are many benefits to incorporating WCAG criteria into websites, including higher natural indexing, wider audiences, and improved user experiences
  

What is WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 is a series of international guidelines designed to make web content accessible to all, regardless of users’ physical, cognitive, psychological, or sensory abilities. These guidelines are considered the technical standard for digital accessibility and inclusive design.

Published in October 2023, WCAG 2.2 is the latest version of the accessibility guidelines from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It is built on previous versions and includes additional criteria for creating digital spaces that are distinguishable and usable by people with disabilities.

What are the differences between WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2?

Compared to WCAG 2.1, WCAG 2.2 introduces nine new criteria to increase web content accessibility and inclusivity. These additional criteria involve mobility and cognitive disabilities and are designed to supplement the previous version’s criteria.

It is important to note that WCAG versions are backward compatible. This means versions 2.0 and 2.1 are contained within version 2.2, with the exception of one criterion that was removed.

Is WCAG 2.2 mandatory in France?

WCAG 2.2 guidelines are not legally required, but French and European laws resulting from them require certain public and private sector entities to ensure that their web content is accessible.

The General Accessibility Improvement Framework (Référentiel général d’amélioration de l’accessibilité, or RGAA) is the French adaptation of WCAG. It describes the requirements and procedures for testing compliance. All French government entities – including government agencies, municipalities, public institutions, and businesses undertaking public service missions – are required to meet certain accessibility standards. The goal is to ensure that every citizen has equitable access to public services and information, which is a fundamental right.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) – which was transposed into French law by Law No. 2023-171 of 9 March 2023 – extends digital accessibility requirements to the private sector. EU businesses that facilitate the sale of products or services online must ensure that their websites, mobile apps, and digital services are accessible to people with disabilities. This includes businesses in e-commerce, banking services, transportation, ebooks, and audiovisual media. Only microbusinesses with fewer than 10 employees and less than €2 million in revenue are exempt.

What are the four principles of WCAG?

WCAG is built on four fundamental principles. To be accessible to all, web content must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

Perceivable

Content and components must be presented in a way that ensures all users can perceive them. Concretely, this means websites must provide text equivalents (e.g., large font, braille, text to speech, simplified language or symbols) for all nontext content, such as images and icons.

Websites must also allow users to customise elements as needed without losing information. They must also offer alternatives to visual media, such as subtitles and transcription. Accessible websites must also distinguish foregrounds from backgrounds and ensure sufficient contrast between the two.

Operable

All digital content features must be accessible using keyboards, without requiring a mouse. Website developers must provide users with clear orientation for navigation and browsing. They must allow time to read and interact with content and avoid elements that could cause epileptic seizures.

Understandable

To comply with the WCAG, websites must ensure optimal text readability and help users correct input errors. Websites need to use clear, descriptive error messages and label text boxes.

Robust

Digital content must be compatible with current and future assistance technologies (e.g., screen readers, braille) and must be decipherable by digital programs.

What new criteria does WCAG 2.2 introduce?

WCAG 2.2 adds the following new criteria to version 2.1:

• Consistent help features: If a page offers help, documentation, or instruction to facilitate navigation, these features must appear in the same location throughout the site or app
  
• Path-based gestures: Websites must offer an alternative to drag-and-drop motions (e.g., activation using a single pointer)
  
• Visible focus: Focus must not be obscured by content. Ideally, it remains fully visible.
  
• Focus appearance: The perimeter of the focus must be clearly marked, be at least two Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) pixels thick, and have a focus-to-nonfocus contrast of at least 3:1
  
• Target size: Clickable and tactile elements (e.g., buttons, icons) need to be at least 24 x 24 CSS pixels and must be legible
  
• Accessible authentication: Cognitive tests (e.g., solving puzzles, memorising complex passwords) must not be required, unless there is an accessible alternative
  
• Redundant entry: Websites must provide autocomplete or selection features for repeated text boxes to avoid entering information multiple times
  

What are the different levels of WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 has three levels: A, AA, and AAA. Level A is the minimum requirement, and AA is the recognised standard. It is also the level required by the EAA. At level AA, digital content, mobile apps, and websites are comfortable for people with disabilities to use.

Level AAA represents the highest standard of accessibility. It goes beyond legal obligations to offer an optimum experience, but it can be difficult to attain across the entirety of a complex website.

Who is WCAG 2.2 for?

Making a website accessible is a true team effort that often involves multiple stakeholders. Therefore, the WCAG 2.2 guidelines are intended for web content developers, developers of website editing tools, developers of tools that evaluate web accessibility, and anyone interested in the technical standards for web or mobile accessibility.

Why is it important for businesses to comply with WCAG 2.2?

Businesses that comply with WCAG 2.2 receive many benefits:

• Compliance with legal requirements (e.g., EAA, RGAA)
  
• Wider audiences
  
• Higher natural indexing because search engines and AI tools can more easily read accessible websites
  
• Better user experiences and positive brand images, which can help build trust, increase conversion rates, retain customers, and boost long-term profitability
  

WCAG checklist for website owners

Content that is WCAG-compliant at Level AA can be created using audit tools, third parties, or checklists. Here are the key criteria:

• Website navigation without a mouse
  
• Visible focus for each element
  
• Sufficient contrast ratios
  
• Labelled text boxes
  
• Single entries for requested information or autocomplete features
  
• Alternatives to puzzles and passwords
  
• Large clickable areas
  
• Alternative text for images and visual media
  
• Clear and usable interface when zoomed in or out
  
• Compatibility with assistance technologies
  
• Sufficient time to read and use content
  
• Alternatives to path-based gestures
  
• Consistent navigation across webpages
  
• Descriptive error messages
  

How Stripe can help

Stripe Elements lets you customise components of your payments page using a modular interface. With Elements, you can easily incorporate accessibility features into your checkout – such as descriptive error messages, autocomplete, and Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) labels – whether on desktop or mobile. You can also modify fonts, colours, and spacing of components to meet legal requirements.

Stripe also provides an express payment option that handles a wide range of payment methods and speeds up customer payment.