Accessibility Compliance
WCAG 2.2 AA Checklist: What to Test and How to Pass
WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) Level AA is the global benchmark for digital accessibility and the technical backbone of most accessibility laws - including India's IS 17802, the ADA, Section 508 and EN 301 549. This checklist explains what conformance actually requires and how to test for it.
The four principles: POUR
- Perceivable - text alternatives, captions, contrast, and content that adapts
- Operable - full keyboard access, enough time, no seizure triggers, clear navigation
- Understandable - readable text, predictable behavior, input assistance and error handling
- Robust - valid, well-named markup that works with assistive technologies
New in WCAG 2.2
- Focus Not Obscured - the keyboard focus indicator must not be hidden by other content
- Focus Appearance - focus indicators must be sufficiently visible
- Dragging Movements - provide a single-pointer alternative to drag actions
- Target Size (Minimum) - interactive targets at least 24×24 CSS pixels
- Consistent Help - help mechanisms appear in a consistent location
- Redundant Entry - don't force users to re-enter information already provided
- Accessible Authentication - don't rely on a cognitive test (e.g. remembering/transcribing) to log in
What to test manually vs automatically
Automated tools (axe-core, Lighthouse, WAVE) reliably catch only a fraction of issues - roughly a third. The rest require manual testing with real assistive technology.
- Automate: contrast, missing alt text, form-label associations, ARIA misuse, heading structure
- Manual: keyboard-only traversal and focus order, screen-reader meaning (NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver/TalkBack), zoom/reflow to 400%, target size, and real task completion
Reaching and proving conformance
- Audit representative templates and user journeys against all A and AA criteria
- Test with real screen readers, keyboard-only and 400% zoom
- Remediate at the source (semantic HTML, ARIA, focus management)
- Re-test to verify, and document with a conformance statement or VPAT
Need help with this in practice?
A5 Cyber Nexus audits, remediates and certifies against these frameworks.
Frequently asked questions
Is WCAG 2.2 AA legally required?
It's the technical standard referenced by most accessibility laws - India's IS 17802/RPwD, the ADA, Section 508 and the EU's EN 301 549/EAA. Conforming to 2.2 AA satisfies the technical core of these obligations.
Can automated tools alone prove WCAG conformance?
No. Automated scanners catch only about a third of issues. Real conformance requires manual testing with assistive technology - screen readers, keyboard-only navigation and zoom/reflow.
Related on A5 Cyber Nexus
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