WCAG Compliance CheckWCAG 2.1 AA compliance
WCAG 2.1 Level AA has 50 success criteria. It is the standard the US Department of Justice adopted for state and local governments in 2024, and the level most contracts and policies written before 2024 ask for.
2.1 AA vs 2.2 AA
- WCAG 2.2 AA keeps every 2.1 A and AA criterion except 4.1.1 Parsing.
- It adds 6 criteria at A and AA: 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), 2.5.7 Dragging Movements, 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), 3.2.6 Consistent Help, 3.3.7 Redundant Entry, 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum).
- So 2.2 AA has 55 criteria and 2.1 AA has 50.
W3C designed 2.2 to be backwards compatible: a page that meets WCAG 2.2 AA also meets 2.1 AA (W3C WAI, What's New in WCAG 2.2). If a contract or law says "WCAG 2.1 AA", testing to 2.2 AA covers it and gets you ready for the next update.
Who requires 2.1 AA
- The ADA Title II rule for state and local governments (see ADA Title II).
- EN 301 549, the European standard used to show conformity with the European Accessibility Act (see the EAA guide).
Who still cites 2.0
The US federal Section 508 Standards incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA (see Section 508). Meeting 2.1 or 2.2 AA covers 2.0 AA as well.