The Ultimate Guide to Web Accessibility Compliance in 2026

Starting from 2026, websites will have to follow a new set of web accessibility standards, WCAG 2.2 . They build upon the previous version, so operators will need to use tools like the free Web Accessibility Checker by Achecker.ca to ensure they meet the requirements. Check out our article to learn more about these new rules.

What is Web Accessibility Compliance?

These standards are used to ensure that websites provide sufficient accessibility features, so that people with disabilities aren’t excluded as potential site visitors. Each country has its own set of standards, although they all comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) developed by the World Wide Web Consortium. These standards include:

  • Alt Text
  • Keyboard Access
  • Color Contrast
  • Text Resizing

Websites that don’t comply with these standards may struggle to break into the broader market. Additionally, they may sometimes face accessibility lawsuits. That’s why if you operate a site or even apps and widgets, it’s a good idea to check how well your product meets these requirements and whether you can improve them.

The New WCAG 2.2 Guidelines

The WCAG is frequently updated to help improve people’s experience on websites with 2.2 being the latest edition. There are three levels, with AA being the standard that everyone needs to meet and AAA being an ideal they can strive for. The four guiding principles, which we will cover in more detail below, include:

  • Perceivable
  • Operable
  • Understandable
  • Robust

Perceivable

The first principle the WCAG adheres to is perceivability. Sites must ensure that users can access them using any of the senses available to them. That’s why color theory is important, so colorblind people can have an easier time. Some of the requirements that are part of this principle include:

  • Having alt-text for images and non-text content
  • Providing captions and transcripts for videos
  • Text colours must be visible against the background
  • Make sure the site’s features are accessible even when text size is increased by 200%
  • Make sure the site is accessible to screen reader tech
  • Have logical content structure and clear differentiation between elements

Operable

To meet this principle, websites must ensure their sites are compatible with various control schemes. Some users prefer voice commands to keyboard, so this is a crucial step in creating intuitive navigation for mobile apps. Some of the rules relating to this principle are:

  • Making sure the site works with keyboard-only controls
  • Allowing people to control any moving content by pausing or playing it
  • Making sure buttons are big enough or spaced out
  • Using active focus to let the user know where their device is focused
  • Adding descriptive links so users know where a link will take them or what it downloads

Another important part of this principle is timing. That means the site should provide the user with enough time to read the content, and if they need to re-authenticate their session, they won’t lose any data or progress. It’s also important to ensure the site doesn’t cause seizures by avoiding content that flashes more than three times.

Understandable

Every website and app should be designed to make sure people understand the content and how the different parts work. For example, it should be clear what language the page is written in and indicate if it changes. Any features should also look and behave consistently, so users can know how to use the site. Other rules include:

  • Making sure forms have visible fields with clear markings that indicate the necessary information
  • Users should be able to clearly and quickly identify and fix any issues when filling out a form
  • Allow people to re-enter information they’ve already filled out easily
  • Allow users to log in without having to remember information

Robust

The final principle states that the content must be robust enough for users and assistive technology to interpret it. In the 2.2 version, this principle underwent some changes, as the parsing rule was removed. Assistive technology no longer needs to directly parse HTML, making it an obsolete requirement. The remaining rules include:

  • M aximizing compatibility with current and future assistive technology and user agents
  • The name and role of user interface components like forms must be programmatically determined
  • If the content is implemented through a markup language, status messages should be programmatically determined through roles

Conclusion

WCAG 2.2 improves upon WCAG 2.1 by adding several new criteria, such as enhanced authentication without the use of puzzles and minimum dimensions for interactive controls. While this means operators will have to re-evaluate their sites, the rules mean that more users can engage with what a site has to offer. Remember that while checker tools can help, it’s essential to do a manual evaluation to ensure your site meets the criteria.