Standards explainer
How WCAG 2.2 differs from WCAG 2.1
Compliance bottom line
Illinois law (IITAA 2.1, effective June 24, 2024) and the federal ADA Title II rule both require WCAG 2.1 Level AA — that is the legal minimum and it is mandatory. WCAG 2.2 is not yet referenced by IITAA, so conforming to 2.2 is optional and forward-looking. We audit against 2.2 anyway because it is a strict superset of 2.1 and we expect the standards to follow.
The short version
WCAG 2.2 doesn't replace 2.1 — it adds nine new success criteria and removes one (4.1.1 "Parsing", now obsolete). Everything your documents already needed for 2.1 Level AA still applies, unchanged. Of the nine additions, six are at Level A/AA (the compliance tier); three are Level AAA.
Almost all of the new rules target interactive web pages and apps — things like pointer dragging, tap-target size, and login flows. For a static document, most of them simply don't apply. A few can matter for interactive forms, and our audit flags those for manual review.
The six new Level A/AA rules, in plain terms
| New rule (level) | What it means | Affects our documents? |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Not Obscured (AA) | The item you tab to can't be hidden behind sticky headers/footers. | No — web UI only. |
| Dragging Movements (AA) | Anything done by dragging must also work with a simple tap/click. | No — web UI only. |
| Target Size (AA) | Clickable controls are at least 24×24 pixels. | Only interactive forms. |
| Consistent Help (A) | Help/contact options appear in the same place across pages. | No — multi-page web UI. |
| Redundant Entry (A) | Don't make people re-type information they already gave. | Only interactive forms. |
| Accessible Authentication (AA) | No memory/puzzle test required to log in. | Only interactive forms. |
What this means for you
For ordinary documents (reports, memos, forms you only read), moving from 2.1 to 2.2 changes nothing about what this tool checks — the automated checks are identical. We display "WCAG 2.2" to signal we're holding documents to the newest bar, and we surface the form-relevant new rules as "not assessed — manual review" when a PDF has interactive form fields, rather than pretending we tested them.
If your organization needs to report strictly against the legal minimum, the audit can be switched back to WCAG 2.1 — ask your administrator.