In October this year, WCAG 2.2 was approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as an international standard.
WCAG 2.2 was released in Oct 2023 and builds on the accessibility guidelines already set by WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1, as well as introducing nine new success criteria. Becoming an ISO standard confirms that WCAG is the best way to achieve digital accessibility.
Accessibility is about people, especially people with disabilities. Organisations around the world can now be clear on their obligations to build accessible digital products and services.
What is WCAG?
The Web Content and Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are written by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). W3C was founded by the inventor of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and is responsible for key standards that make the World Wide Web work, such as HTML, CSS, accessibility, web payments and more.
WCAG is based on four accessibility principles:
- Perceivable
- Operable
- Understandable
- Robust
Each principle relates to making web content more accessible and emphasises the importance of thinking about how people interact with content in different ways.
Web agencies and developers (should) follow WCAG to provide a baseline of website accessibility. We have always aimed for Level AA conformance as a minimum.
Why is WCAG important?
When organisations follow WCAG, their websites, social media and apps are easier to use, especially for people with disabilities. Disabilities can be visual, mobility-related, cognitive or associated with ageing. WCAG helps to support a more equitable experience online.
Are there already standards for accessibility in the UK?
There are already laws in the UK to support making digital products and services accessible.
Since September 2020, all public sector websites have been legally required to meet accessibility requirements and publish an accessibility statement.
The Equality Act 2010 makes it clear that your website, app or digital service must be usable by people with disabilities.
If your business or organisation has customers in the EU, then the European Accessibility Act (published in June 2025) will require your website, app or digital service to be accessible. In addressing the European Accessibility Act (EAA), most organisations use WCAG and the European Standard EN 301 549: Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services. EN 301 549 currently uses WCAG 2.1. We expect the next version of EN 301 549 to use the latest version of WCAG 2.2.
What does the ISO standard add?
The ISO standard extends the reach of WCAG and is another way to ensure that accessibility is taken seriously and prioritised by organisations.
You can get a copy of the ISO standard (a small admin fee applies), and you can get certification for this standard from a CASCO standard body (but it’s not compulsory).
See your business flourish as digital barriers are removed and more people than ever can use your digital service!
Next steps
How do you start addressing accessibility in practice? We can help you with some next steps:
- Get an accessibility review to understand where your website is at
- Write an accessibility statement to show your commitment to accessibility
- Plan iterative improvements. We can help with our guide to accessible content or with a support and maintenance plan.
Further reading: