WCAG 2.2 AA Checklist (Plain-English Pass/Fail Checks)

WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the standard most accessibility laws point to — the EAA, the ADA in practice, and Section 508. The official spec is precise but dense, so here's a plain-English checklist grouped by theme. It's a practical starting map, not a substitute for the official success criteria. (General information, not legal advice.)

Perceivable — can people sense the content?

Images and non-text content have meaningful text alternatives (see alt text).
Video has captions; pre-recorded audio/video has the alternatives it needs.
Structure is conveyed in the markup — real headings, lists, and labels, not just visual styling.
Content isn't conveyed by color, shape, or position alone.
Text contrast meets the ratios, and UI components/graphics meet 3:1 (see contrast).
Text reflows at 200%+ zoom without horizontal scrolling or loss of content.

Operable — can people use it?

Everything works by keyboard, with no traps and a visible focus indicator (see keyboard testing).
A "skip to content" link bypasses repeated navigation.
No content flashes more than three times per second.
Users get enough time; moving/auto-updating content can be paused.
Pages have descriptive titles, and link text makes sense out of context.

Understandable — is it clear and predictable?

The page declares its language (lang attribute).
Navigation and components behave consistently across the site.
Form fields have clear labels and instructions; errors are specific and helpful (see accessible forms).

Robust — does it work with assistive tech?

Valid, well-formed markup; custom components expose correct name, role, and value (ARIA where needed).
Status messages are announced to assistive technology without stealing focus.

New in WCAG 2.2 (don't miss these)

Version 2.2 added several criteria — the AA-level ones worth checking specifically:

Focus not obscured: when an element is focused, it isn't hidden behind sticky headers/footers or other content.
Dragging movements: anything done by dragging has a simple pointer alternative (e.g. tap/click).
Target size (minimum): interactive targets are at least 24×24 px, or have enough spacing.
Consistent help: help mechanisms (contact, FAQ) appear in a consistent place across pages.
Redundant entry: don't make users re-enter info they already provided in the same process.
Accessible authentication: don't force a cognitive test (like remembering/transcribing) to log in — allow paste, password managers, etc.

How to work through it

Run an automated scan first to clear the checks a tool can measure (contrast, alt presence, labels, language, name/role/value) — Scan your site free with WCAGwise to see them with the exact element and fix. Then manually verify the judgment-based ones (meaningful alt text, focus order, keyboard flows, the 2.2 additions). For the full process see how to run an accessibility audit. WCAGwise is an audit aid, not a legal guarantee.

WCAG 2.2 AA checklist (plain-English)