WCAG 2.2 was originally published (Oct 2, 2023) and updated (Dec 12, 2024). But in October 2025, it was approved and published as an ISO/IEC international standard (ISO/IEC 40500:2025). That makes WCAG 2.2 the formally referenced accessibility benchmark for governments, procurement teams, and regulators that require ISO standards - and raises the urgency for businesses to update accessibility policies, audits, procurement language, and remediation roadmaps to the new success criteria.
What's new – brief information!
WCAG 2.2 adds nine new, testable success criteria (examples: Focus Not Obscured, Focus Appearance, Target Size (Minimum), Accessible Authentication, Redundant Entry, Dragging Movements, Consistent Help). These latest additions target gaps around keyboard focus, mobile/touch interactions, authentication flows, and cognitive support.
WCAG 2.2 as an ISO recognition (ISO/IEC 40500:2025), made it an authoritative standard that many countries and procurement rules can now formally adopt. In short, organizations must cite WCAG 2.2 in their compliance strategies because it is an important factor for procurement and regulatory frameworks.
Why does this ISO status matter for businesses - concrete implications?
Every change or upgrade is made to bring some value. So, this ISO status comes up with:
- Procurement and contracts
- Regulatory alignment
- Legal and reputational risk
- Practical expectation
Many public-sector buyers only reference ISO standards in RFPs. With ISO/IEC 40500:2025, they can now require conformance to WCAG 2.2 directly in procurement, increasing commercial exposure for vendors.
Standards bodies and regional regulations (e.g., EN 301 549 / European Accessibility Act) commonly map to or incorporate WCAG - ISO status to make cross-jurisdictional alignment easier and faster.
ISO status strengthens the standing of WCAG 2.2 in courts or compliance reviews where a formally published standard carries more weight than a non-ISO recommendation.
Regulators and large buyers will increasingly expect organizations to target WCAG 2.2 AA as the baseline for public-facing digital services - with remediation plans for the additional AA/AAA criteria where required.
What businesses should do right now – A roadmap to follow!
- Update policy and scoping
- Re-scope accessibility inventory
- Audit with WCAG 2.2 in mind
- Automated scanning for quickly finding common issues (but also note its limits).
- Manual accessibility audit mapping findings to the specific WCAG 2.2 success criteria (the 9 new SCs plus the existing set).
- Assistive-technology user testing (screen reader, keyboard-only, switch / touch alternatives) - especially to validate Focus Not Obscured and Accessible Authentication.
- Stopgap mitigations for complex systems
- Governance, reporting, and culture
Update accessibility policy, procurement templates, and vendor contracts to reference WCAG 2.2 / ISO/IEC 40500:2025 (include exact citation and date). Use “conforms to WCAG 2.2 (ISO/IEC 40500:2025)” when it is about a formal standard.
Re-run all inventory of public-facing websites, mobile apps, PDFs, and kiosks. Flag high-risk services (citizen/customer-facing, billing, authentication, checkouts). Prioritize items that use custom authentication flows, heavy touch interactions, or complex keyboard navigation.
Run layered testing:
Where full remediation is time-taking (legacy platforms, third-party widgets), implement mitigations such as plain-language instructions, alternative contact/support channels, accessible fallbacks, and clear notices about limitations during the remediation process.
Add WCAG 2.2 metrics to dashboards and to security/privacy/compliance reviews. Integrate accessibility in all the core practices, including procurement SLAs. Also, educate product and engineering teams on the new success criteria.
Which are the important factors to pay special attention to in WCAG 2.2?
- Keyboard & focus
- Touch & mobile
- Authentication & forms
- Cognitive support
Focus Not Obscured, and Focus Appearance meaning focus indicators must remain visible and not be hidden under overlays. It should meet visual appearance expectations for users relying on keyboard navigation.
Target Size (Minimum) and Dragging Movements require controls be big enough to tap, and that drag-only interactions have alternatives - important for mobile-first apps.
Accessible Authentication and Redundant Entry address real business flows (logins, re-type passwords, multi-factor) - these are high-risk for conversion and compliance.
Consistent Help assists users depend on predictable assistance and contextual help, required for on-boarding and forms.
Regulators and procurement teams will commonly ask for:
- A current audit report that maps findings to WCAG 2.2 success criteria (A / AA / AAA) with test methodology described.
- Remediation roadmap with dates (Note: Communicate realistic timelines and interim mitigations).
- Usability test logs showing sessions with people using assistive tech (screenshots, recordings, summary results).
- Automated scan exports + manual verification notes (automated failures that were manually verified as false positives should be documented).
Note: Automated accessibility testing tools will not detect many of the new WCAG 2.2 problems (such as focus visibility, authentication alternatives, and consistent help). Thus, include manual checks and real-user testing in evidence.
What to expect in coming year?
After ISO publication (Oct 2025), national standardization bodies and procurement rules move at different speeds. Organizations can encounter:
- Faster formal adoption by governments that require an ISO reference in procurement language.
- Industry-specific guidance updates (education, healthcare, banking) over months; watch the relevant industry regulators.
- Increased contractual clauses asking for “WCAG 2.2 conformance” or “accessibility consistency with ISO/IEC 40500:2025”.
Businesses that sell to the public sector or international customers should treat WCAG 2.2 AA as the de-facto target immediately.
Read more: WCAG 2.2 & EAA readiness for Seasonal Campaign Accessibility
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Wrapping up
WCAG 2.2 becoming an ISO standard marks an important shift in digital accessibility expectations for upcoming year. Businesses can no longer treat accessibility as optional – it's now a formal, global benchmark. By aligning policies, audits, and development processes with WCAG 2.2, organizations can claim to adherence with ISO/IEC standard.
Acting early ensures smoother adoption and a stronger accessibility posture!
Enterprises navigating WCAG 2.2 and ISO-aligned accessibility expectations often need more than guidance - they need experienced execution. We provide organizations with comprehensive accessibility audit, website accessibility remediation, PDF/document accessibility remediation, VPAT / ACR report service, ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and support aligned with WCAG 2.2 and global standards. From enterprise websites to complex digital platforms, the focus stays on practical fixes, risk reduction, and measurable improvements. Reach out hello@skynettechnologies.com to evaluate current accessibility status and move forward with confidence in global compliance expectations.