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The Complete WCAG 2.2 Checklist for Small Business Websites

·PageAuditors Team

The Complete WCAG 2.2 Checklist for Small Business Websites

WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the current international standard for web accessibility. If your business has a website, meeting Level AA of this standard is what courts, regulators, and advocacy groups expect. But the official WCAG documentation is dense and technical.

This checklist translates the most important criteria into plain English so you can understand what your website needs.

Perceivable: Can Users See and Hear Your Content?

Images and Media

  • Every image has alt text. If an image conveys information, describe it. If it is decorative, mark it as decorative so screen readers skip it.
  • Videos have captions. Pre-recorded video content needs synchronized captions. Live video should have captions too, if possible.
  • Audio has transcripts. Podcast episodes, audio clips, and video soundtracks should have text alternatives.

Text and Color

  • Color contrast meets the 4.5:1 ratio. Body text must have at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio against its background. Large text (18pt or 14pt bold) needs at least 3:1.
  • Color is not the only indicator. Do not rely on color alone to convey information. For example, do not mark required form fields only with red text. Add an asterisk or label.
  • Text can be resized to 200%. Users should be able to zoom to 200% without losing content or functionality.

Operable: Can Users Navigate Your Site?

Keyboard Access

  • Everything works with a keyboard. Every link, button, form field, and interactive element must be reachable and usable with the Tab, Enter, and arrow keys.
  • No keyboard traps. Users must be able to navigate away from any element using standard keys. Modal dialogs should be closable with Escape.
  • Focus indicators are visible. When a user tabs through your site, the currently focused element must have a visible outline or highlight.

Navigation

  • Skip navigation links exist. A "Skip to main content" link should appear at the top of the page for keyboard users.
  • Page titles are descriptive. Each page should have a unique, descriptive title tag.
  • Headings are in logical order. Use h1, h2, h3 in sequence. Do not skip heading levels for styling purposes.

Timing and Motion

  • No auto-playing content that cannot be paused. Carousels, videos, and animations must have pause controls.
  • Users get enough time. If a session times out, warn users and let them extend it.

Understandable: Is Your Content Clear?

Readability

  • Language is declared. The HTML lang attribute should be set (e.g., lang="en").
  • Error messages are specific. When a form submission fails, tell users exactly which fields have errors and how to fix them.
  • Labels are associated with inputs. Every form field needs a proper <label> element linked to it.

Predictability

  • Navigation is consistent. Menus and navigation appear in the same location across pages.
  • No unexpected context changes. Changing a dropdown selection should not automatically navigate the user to a new page without warning.

Robust: Does Your Site Work with Assistive Technology?

  • HTML is valid. Properly nested tags, unique IDs, and correct ARIA attributes.
  • ARIA is used correctly. If you use ARIA roles and properties, they must follow the specification. Incorrect ARIA is worse than no ARIA.
  • Status messages are announced. Success messages, error alerts, and loading indicators should use ARIA live regions so screen readers announce them.

New in WCAG 2.2

WCAG 2.2 added several criteria particularly relevant to small business sites:

  • Dragging movements (2.5.7, Level AA): Any action that requires dragging must have a single-pointer alternative.
  • Target size (2.5.8, Level AA): Interactive targets should be at least 24x24 CSS pixels (or have equivalent spacing around them with no adjacent targets).
  • Focus not obscured (2.4.11, Level AA): When an element receives keyboard focus, it must not be entirely hidden by sticky headers, footers, or other content.
  • Accessible authentication (3.3.8, Level AA): Login flows must not rely solely on cognitive function tests like puzzles or transcription. Support password managers (allow paste into password fields).
  • Consistent help (3.2.6, Level A): If you offer help (chat widget, FAQ link), it should appear in the same relative order across pages.
  • Redundant entry (3.3.7, Level A): Do not ask users to re-enter information they have already provided in the same session (with exceptions for security contexts like password confirmation).

How to Check Your Site

You can manually review each item on this list, but automated scanning catches the majority of issues in seconds. PageAuditors runs your site against WCAG 2.1 AA -- the standard courts and regulators currently enforce -- plus key WCAG 2.2 criteria, and gives you a prioritized list of issues with plain-English fixes.

Note: WCAG 2.2 is the latest W3C standard and represents best practice. However, U.S. courts and the DOJ's Title II rule currently reference WCAG 2.1 AA as the legal benchmark. Meeting WCAG 2.2 AA means you also meet 2.1 AA, since 2.2 is a superset.

Run a free WCAG 2.2 scan now. Results in under 60 seconds.