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  • 2026 Complete Guide

WCAG 2.0 vs 2.1 vs 2.2: What Changed and What It Means for You

WCAG 2.1 added 17 new criteria to 2.0. WCAG 2.2 added 9 more and removed one. This plain-language guide explains every version change and what Ontario organizations must do.

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How WCAG Versioning Works

Each WCAG version is cumulative. WCAG 2.1 contains everything in WCAG 2.0 plus 17 new success criteria. WCAG 2.2 contains everything in WCAG 2.1 plus 9 new criteria and removes one that became obsolete. A site that meets WCAG 2.2 Level AA automatically meets WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.0. The versions are not competing standards — they are a progression.

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The three WCAG conformance levels: A, AA, and AAA

WCAG organizes its success criteria into three levels of conformance. Each level builds on the previous one.

Original standard
WCAG 2.0
Published December 2008
Total criteria 61
Level A 25
Level AA 13
Level AAA 23
New added Baseline
AODA status Required ✓
Mobile + cognitive
WCAG 2.1
Published June 2018
Total criteria 78
Level A 30
Level AA 20
Level AAA 28
New added +17 criteria
AODA status Recommended
Current standard
WCAG 2.2
Published October 2023
Total criteria 86
Level A 32
Level AA 24
Level AAA 30
New added +9 criteria
Removed 1 (4.1.1)
AODA requires WCAG 2.0 Level AA — but WCAG 2.2 is the current international standard
 
Ontario’s Information and Communications Standard specifies WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the legal benchmark. WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 are not yet legally required in Ontario. However, because the versions are backward compatible, targeting WCAG 2.2 now costs nothing extra and ensures you meet the current legal requirement while staying ahead of future updates.
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What WCAG 2.1 Added to 2.0

WCAG 2.1 was published in June 2018 to address gaps in 2.0, particularly around mobile accessibility, users with low vision, and users with cognitive and learning disabilities. It added 17 new success criteria across the four POUR principles.

New Level A Criteria in WCAG 2.1

1.3.4 Level A Orientation
Content must not lock to a single screen orientation (portrait or landscape) unless that orientation is essential for its function.
✓ Pass
The site works correctly in both portrait and landscape orientation on a mobile device.
✗ Fail
A form only renders usably in landscape, making it inaccessible when a device is fixed in portrait mode.
1.3.5 Level AA Identify Input Purpose
Form fields that collect personal information must use autocomplete attributes so browsers and assistive technologies can identify their purpose automatically.
✓ Pass
A name field uses autocomplete="name" and an email field uses autocomplete="email".
✗ Fail
All input fields have autocomplete="off", preventing browsers from identifying or pre-filling common personal fields.
2.1.4 Level A Character Key Shortcuts
If keyboard shortcuts use only a single character (letter, number, punctuation), the user must be able to turn them off, remap them, or activate them only on focus.
✓ Pass
Single-character shortcuts can be disabled in the site's settings menu.
✗ Fail
A single-key shortcut 'S' triggers site search, and speech recognition users find random words activating it unintentionally.
2.5.1 Level A Pointer Gestures
Functionality that uses multi-point gestures (pinch-to-zoom) or path-based gestures (swipe) must have a single-pointer alternative.
✓ Pass
A map component offers plus and minus buttons alongside pinch-to-zoom.
✗ Fail
An image carousel only advances via a swipe gesture with no tap-based alternative.
2.5.2 Level A Pointer Cancellation
For single-pointer actions, the effect must not trigger on the down-event alone — giving users the chance to cancel by moving away before releasing.
✓ Pass
Buttons activate on pointer up (mouseup / touchend), not pointer down.
✗ Fail
A drag-to-delete feature activates immediately on touch-start, giving users no chance to cancel.
2.5.3 Level A Label in Name
For interactive components that have a visible text label, the accessible name must contain that visible text. Voice control users speak what they see.
✓ Pass
A button labelled "Contact us" has an accessible name of "Contact us" or "Contact us today."
✗ Fail
A button shows "Contact us" visually but its aria-label is "Send enquiry," so voice users saying "Click contact us" get no result.
2.5.4 Level A Motion Actuation
Functionality triggered by device motion (shaking, tilting) must be achievable by other means, and the motion response must be disableable.
✓ Pass
An "undo" feature triggered by shaking the device also has an Undo button in the interface.
✗ Fail
Only shaking the device clears a form, with no alternative control and no way to turn off the motion trigger.
4.1.3 Level A Status Messages
Programmatically determinable status messages — such as "Form submitted" or "3 items added to cart" — must be conveyed to assistive technologies without receiving focus.
✓ Pass
A confirmation message uses role="status" so screen readers announce it without the user needing to navigate to it.
✗ Fail
A success message appears visually after form submission but has no ARIA role, so screen reader users receive no confirmation.

Selected New Level AA Criteria in WCAG 2.1

1.4.10 Level AA Reflow
Content must reflow into a single column at 320 CSS pixels wide without loss of information or requiring horizontal scrolling. This supports users who zoom to 400%.
✓ Pass
At 400% browser zoom, all page content reflows into a single column with no horizontal scrollbar.
✗ Fail
At 400% zoom, the page requires horizontal scrolling to read full lines of body text.
1.4.11 Level AA Non-text Contrast
User interface components (buttons, form inputs, focus indicators) and informational graphics must have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent colours.
✓ Pass
A checkbox border has a 3:1 contrast ratio against the white background, making it clearly visible.
✗ Fail
A text input field has a light grey border on white that fails to meet 3:1, making the field boundary invisible to low-vision users.
1.4.12 Level AA Text Spacing
Users must be able to override text spacing properties (line height, letter spacing, word spacing, paragraph spacing) without loss of content or functionality.
✓ Pass
When a user stylesheet increases line height to 1.5x and letter spacing to 0.12em, all text and layout remain intact.
✗ Fail
Increasing line height causes content to overflow and become hidden inside a fixed-height container.
1.4.13 Level AA Content on Hover or Focus
Content that appears on hover or keyboard focus (tooltips, sub-menus, dropdowns) must be dismissible, hoverable, and persistent.
✓ Pass
A tooltip remains visible when the user moves the pointer from the trigger onto the tooltip content itself.
✗ Fail
A tooltip disappears immediately if the pointer moves slightly off the trigger, making its content unreadable before the user can finish.
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What WCAG 2.2 Added to 2.1

WCAG 2.2 was published on 5 October 2023. It adds 9 new success criteria and removes one obsolete criterion. The new criteria focus on keyboard users, users with cognitive and learning disabilities, and users on mobile and touch devices.

Criterion Level Plain-language summary
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) AA Focused elements must not be fully hidden behind sticky headers, footers, or overlays.
2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) AAA Focused elements must not be hidden at all by author-created content.
2.4.13 Focus Appearance AAA Focus indicators must meet minimum size and contrast requirements.
2.5.7 Dragging Movements AA Any drag-based action must have a single-pointer (tap or click) alternative.
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) AA Touch and pointer targets must be at least 24×24 CSS pixels or have adequate spacing.
3.2.6 Consistent Help A Help mechanisms (chat, phone, FAQ) must appear in a consistent location across pages.
3.3.7 Redundant Entry A Users must not be asked to re-enter information they have already provided in the same session.
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) AA Login processes must not require users to solve puzzles, recall passwords, or transcribe codes without an alternative.
3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) AAA Login must not require recognising objects or user-supplied images or media.
The one removal: 4.1.1 Parsing
 
WCAG 2.2 removed Success Criterion 4.1.1 Parsing, which required HTML to be free of specific markup errors such as duplicate IDs. Modern browsers and screen readers now handle these errors automatically. If your site was previously audited against WCAG 2.1 and flagged parsing errors, those findings are no longer applicable under WCAG 2.2.
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The Four Most Impactful New WCAG 2.2 Criteria

Of the nine new criteria, four have the highest practical impact for Ontario organizations building or auditing websites in 2026. These are the ones most likely to appear in audit findings and most likely to affect real users.

2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured — sticky elements hiding keyboard focus Level AA
When tabbing through a page, the focused element must not be completely covered by fixed or sticky elements. This is the single most commonly failed new criterion in 2.2 audits.
✓ Pass
Tab through the full page with a sticky header present. Every focused button, link, and input is at least partially visible.
✗ Fail
Tabbing to the 'Continue' button in a checkout form causes it to disappear behind the fixed navigation bar.
2.5.7 Dragging Movements — drag-and-drop alternatives required Level AA
Any function that requires a click-and-drag action must also be achievable with a simple single-pointer action — a click, tap, or button press.
✓ Pass
A sortable list provides up/down arrow buttons alongside drag-to-reorder so users with motor impairments can reorder without dragging.
✗ Fail
A file upload component only accepts drag-and-drop, with no 'Browse' button or keyboard-accessible alternative.
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) — touch targets must be at least 24×24 CSS pixels Level AA
Interactive elements must be at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or have sufficient spacing around them so adjacent targets are not accidentally activated.
✓ Pass
Navigation buttons are at least 44×44 CSS pixels with clear spacing between them. Small inline icons have adequate spacing.
✗ Fail
Social media share icons are 16×16 pixels with 2-pixel gaps between them, causing frequent mis-taps on mobile.
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication — no cognitive puzzles required to log in Level AA
Login and authentication processes must not require users to solve CAPTCHAs, recall complex passwords, or transcribe codes unless an alternative method is provided.
✓ Pass
A login page supports password managers, offers magic link email authentication, and allows copy-paste of one-time codes.
✗ Fail
A login requires typing a one-time code into a field that blocks paste, creating a barrier for users with cognitive or memory impairments.
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Which Version Should Ontario Organizations Target?

For legal compliance with AODA’s Information and Communications Standard, WCAG 2.0 Level AA is the current requirement. However, three factors make targeting WCAG 2.2 the practical recommendation for any website being built or significantly updated in 2026.

Factor Why WCAG 2.2 is the right target
Backward compatibility Meeting WCAG 2.2 automatically satisfies WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.0. There is no compliance cost to building to the higher standard.
Future-proofing Ontario has begun signalling WCAG 2.2 will become the required standard. Organizations building to 2.0 now will face remediation work when the regulation updates.
Audit expectations Accessibility auditors now typically assess against WCAG 2.1 and flag 2.2 issues. Building to 2.2 reduces audit findings.
User benefit The new criteria in 2.1 and 2.2 directly address mobile usability, cognitive accessibility, and keyboard navigation — improvements that benefit all users.
Practical recommendation for Ontario organizations
 
If your website is currently WCAG 2.0 Level AA compliant, you are meeting the legal requirement under AODA today. When your site is next significantly updated or redesigned, target WCAG 2.2 Level AA. If you are building a new site or undertaking a full audit, build to WCAG 2.2 from the start. The additional effort over WCAG 2.0 is small, and the benefit — legal future-proofing and improved usability — is substantial.
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Frequently asked questions

Does AODA require WCAG 2.1 or 2.2?
  • No. Ontario’s AODA Information and Communications Standard currently requires WCAG 2.0 Level AA. WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2 are not yet legally mandated in Ontario. However, because WCAG versions are fully backward compatible, organizations that meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA automatically satisfy the current legal requirement.
  • Legally, yes — WCAG 2.0 Level AA is the current AODA requirement. Practically, no. WCAG 2.0 does not address mobile accessibility, modern touch interfaces, or cognitive accessibility in the depth that 2.1 and 2.2 do. An organization that is only WCAG 2.0 compliant may still have significant barriers for users on mobile devices and for users with cognitive disabilities.
  • Yes. WCAG 2.2 is fully backward compatible with both WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.0. A website that passes all WCAG 2.2 Level AA success criteria automatically passes all WCAG 2.1 Level AA and WCAG 2.0 Level AA criteria. The only change that could theoretically affect backward compatibility is the removal of 4.1.1 Parsing — but removing a criterion relaxes rather than tightens the requirement.
  • WCAG 2.1 added 17 criteria to WCAG 2.0, primarily to improve mobile accessibility and coverage for users with cognitive disabilities and low vision. WCAG 2.2 added 9 further criteria to WCAG 2.1, focusing on keyboard focus visibility, touch target sizes, drag-and-drop alternatives, consistent help, reducing repeated data entry, and accessible authentication. WCAG 2.2 also removed the Parsing criterion (4.1.1), which became obsolete as browsers modernised.
  • Ontario has signalled an intention to update AODA digital accessibility requirements to reference WCAG 2.2. No formal regulation change has been published as of 2026. Organizations should monitor Ontario government accessibility review announcements and plan for a transition to WCAG 2.2 in their next major website update cycle.
  • Success Criterion 4.1.1 Parsing required HTML to be free of specific markup errors such as duplicate IDs and improperly nested elements. By the time WCAG 2.2 was finalized, modern browsers and screen readers had become sophisticated enough to handle these errors automatically. The criterion was removed because it no longer provided a meaningful accessibility benefit. If a previous audit flagged 4.1.1 failures, those findings are not applicable under WCAG 2.2.

Have Your Website Audited Against the Current Standard

Understanding which WCAG version applies is the first step. Knowing whether your specific website meets it requires testing. Our WCAG compliance audit covers automated scanning, manual testing, and screen reader evaluation — giving you a complete picture against WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2.

  • Automated scanning with axe DevTools and WAVE across all key pages
  • Screen reader testing with NVDA + Firefox (Windows) and VoiceOver + Safari (macOS and iOS)
  • Version-by-version gap report showing where your site currently stands
  • Manual testing of all WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 Level AA criteria
  • Keyboard navigation testing across all interactive elements
  • Prioritized remediation roadmap with criterion reference and code-level fix
Request a Free WCAG Compliance Consultation →

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