WCAG 2.2 vs 2.1: What Changed for eLearning

Questions answered by this guide

• ?What changed between WCAG 2.1 and 2.2?
• ?Do I need to redo my accessibility work if I already targeted 2.1?
• ?What is the new Target Size success criterion?
• ?What's the Dragging Movements requirement in WCAG 2.2?
• ?Which WCAG version should my course target?

What you'll learn

• WCAG 2.2 adds new criteria on top of 2.1, it doesn't replace or contradict anything you've already implemented
• The most eLearning-relevant additions: Target Size (Minimum), Dragging Movements, and Focus Appearance
• This Learning Hub already covers the underlying concepts (Tap Target Size Guide, Focus Order Guide), this page frames them as what's new in 2.2 specifically

What's inside

Accessibility specialists and L&D teams tracking which WCAG version their courses should target

1. 012.2 is additive, not a replacement
2. 02Target Size (Minimum)
3. 03Dragging Movements
4. 04Focus Appearance
5. 05What was removed: Parsing
6. 06Which version should you target

Why it matters

WCAG versions build on each other, but a team that hasn't looked at what's new can miss real, specific requirements, particularly ones like target size and dragging alternatives that map directly onto common eLearning interaction patterns (small icon buttons, drag-and-drop questions) rather than abstract technical edge cases.

Best practices

• Target Size (Minimum), WCAG 2.5.8: interactive targets should generally be at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or have enough spacing from neighboring targets, directly relevant to small icon buttons and closely packed hotspots. This is the same concept Tap Target & Button Size Guide already covers.
• Dragging Movements, WCAG 2.5.7: any drag-based interaction needs a non-dragging alternative (like a tap-to-select-then-tap-to-place pattern), directly relevant to matching and sorting quiz questions, see Accessible Assessments Guide.
• Focus Appearance, WCAG 2.4.13 (AAA): the visible focus indicator should be large and high-contrast enough to actually see, an enhanced-level criterion worth targeting even at AA if your course already has a custom focus style.
• You don't need to re-audit everything from scratch, review specifically against the new criteria above, most of a 2.1-conformant course carries forward unchanged.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a 2.1-conformant course needs a full re-audit, in practice, only the specific new criteria need checking.
• Overlooking Dragging Movements for a drag-and-drop quiz question that has no alternative selection method.
• Not noticing small icon-only buttons (like a custom "?" help icon) fall under the new Target Size minimum.

Frequently asked questions

Summary

WCAG 2.2 adds new criteria on top of 2.1 rather than replacing it, most notably Target Size, Dragging Movements, and Focus Appearance, all directly relevant to common eLearning interaction patterns. A 2.1-conformant course needs a targeted review against what's new, not a full re-audit.