Comprehensive WCAG 2.1 & 2.2 Conformance Audit Services
Independent third-party verification evaluating all 86 success criteria across Level A, AA, and AAA. Our certified specialists test genuine user pathways with assistive technologies to deliver authoritative compliance reports and developer-ready code fixes.
What Are the 4 Principles of WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are built upon four fundamental principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). Every failure in legal compliance traces back to one of these cornerstones.
1. Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive through sight, sound, or touch.
- • Text alternatives for non-text content
- • Captions and audio descriptions (1.2)
- • Color contrast ratios minimum 4.5:1
2. Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable entirely via keyboard without mouse reliance or timing traps.
- • Full keyboard navigation (2.1)
- • Elimination of keyboard traps (2.1.2)
- • Target size minimum 24px (2.5.8)
3. Understandable
Information and the operation of the user interface must be clear, predictable, and forgiving of user input errors.
- • Predictable focus on navigation (3.2)
- • Form error identification and recovery
- • Accessible authentication (3.3.8)
4. Robust
Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
- • Clean semantic HTML markup (4.1.1)
- • Accurate ARIA name, role, value (4.1.2)
- • Status message announcements (4.1.3)
WCAG 2.1 vs 2.2 Differences Checklist for Developers
WCAG 2.2 was officially published by the W3C as a Recommendation in October 2023. It introduces 9 new success criteria and removes Parsing (4.1.1). Organizations auditing their digital properties in 2025 must test against these benchmarks.
Focus Appearance (Criterion 2.4.11 Level AA)
New in 2.2Keyboard focus indicators must have an area of at least a 2px thick perimeter around the component and achieve a 3:1 contrast ratio against the unfocused state and background.
Target Size Minimum 24px (Criterion 2.5.8 Level AA)
New in 2.2Interactive touch targets on mobile and desktop must measure at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or provide sufficient spacing to prevent accidental mis-clicks.
Accessible Authentication (Criterion 3.3.8 Level AA)
New in 2.2Logins must not rely solely on cognitive function tests such as memorizing passwords or solving puzzles. Sites must support password managers, copy-paste, and WebAuthn biometrics.
Redundant Entry (Criterion 3.3.7 Level A)
New in 2.2Information previously entered by the user in a multi-step process (such as checkout shipping and billing addresses) must be auto-populated or available for selection.
Dragging Movements (Criterion 2.5.7 Level AA)
New in 2.2Any functionality that relies on dragging (such as sliders, kanban cards, or reorder lists) must also provide a single-pointer alternative like buttons or menu picks.
Video Closed Captions & Audio Description (WCAG 1.2)
Legal compliance extends beyond HTML code to embedded media, webinar archives, product demonstration videos, and audio podcasts.
Synchronized Closed Captions
WCAG 1.2.2 requires synchronized text captions for all prerecorded audio in synchronized media, identifying speakers and meaningful sound effects.
WCAG 1.2.2 Level A RequirementPrerecorded Audio Description
WCAG 1.2.5 requires an audio track describing visual actions, facial expressions, and text displayed on screen that cannot be understood from dialogue alone.
WCAG 1.2.5 Level AA RequirementRequest a WCAG Conformance Audit
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Connect Your WCAG Conformance directly to ADA Safe Harbor
The Department of Justice and federal courts recognize WCAG 2.1 / 2.2 Level AA as the technical standard for ADA Title III website compliance. Get an audit that satisfies both.