If you run a website or digital service — for a government department, an NFP, a school, a business — you've probably heard the words "accessibility" and "WCAG" in the same sentence. You may have nodded and moved on. This article is for the moment you decide to stop nodding.
WCAG 2.2 is an internationally recognised standard for web accessibility. It isn't legislation (in Australia, that's the Disability Discrimination Act and the Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy), but it is a practical benchmark for what an accessible website actually looks like.
What is WCAG, and why should a non-technical person care?
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It's published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) — the international body that sets web standards — and it exists because the web is, for a significant portion of the population, genuinely hard to use.
Around 1 in 6 Australians live with some form of disability. Many more have situational or temporary impairments: a broken arm, bright sunlight, a noisy environment, a slow connection. When you build for accessibility, you build for all of them — and for anyone whose first language isn't English, anyone who is time-poor and skimming on mobile, anyone who is under stress and needs information quickly.
What changed in version 2.2.
WCAG 2.2 was published in October 2023. The changes it introduced are relatively modest — nine new success criteria, one removed — but they address things that matter:
- Focus appearance (2.4.11): Focus indicators must have a minimum size and contrast. The days of a barely-visible dotted outline are over at AA.
- Target size minimum (2.5.8): Interactive targets must be at least 24×24 CSS pixels. Small tap targets — particularly on mobile — are a real barrier for people with motor difficulties.
- Redundant entry (3.3.7): If you already asked for information, don't make the user enter it again in the same session.
- Accessible authentication (3.3.8): Don't require users to solve puzzles or transcribe characters to log in, unless a supported alternative is available.
What happened to 2.1?
WCAG 2.1 remains valid. WCAG 2.2 is backward compatible — if you meet 2.2, you meet 2.1. For organisations already targeting 2.1 AA, the gap to 2.2 AA is manageable, not a full rebuild. For organisations starting fresh, 2.2 AA is the stronger target.
What this means for Australian organisations.
For government agencies, WCAG 2.0 Level AA is the mandatory standard under the Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy. That standard lags behind WCAG 2.2 guidance. Agencies should be targeting 2.2 AA, not because every clause is legally mandated, but because it better reflects how people use digital services.
For private and non-government organisations, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 creates an obligation to take reasonable steps toward accessibility. "We didn't know WCAG 2.2 was the standard" is not a defence that will hold. The Australian Human Rights Commission has explicitly noted that inaccessible websites can constitute unlawful discrimination.
Where to start.
Run an automated scan first — tools like axe or Lighthouse catch about 30–40% of issues automatically. Then do a keyboard navigation pass (tab through every page, don't touch the mouse). Then test with a screen reader if you can.
If this sounds daunting, that's what we're here for. We help organisations understand where they are against WCAG 2.2 AA, and then help them build toward it — practically, at a pace that works, and without the jargon.