As Content for Everyone was published in March 2023, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommended standard was 2.1 and the book specifically references the standards for WCAG 2.1 Level AA. At the same time, at a time yet to be determined in early 2023, the WCAG is expected to release the 2.2 standard, which increases the number of success criteria to review to ensure websites are accessible.
While there are six new Success Criteria expected within WCAG 2.2 Level AA, there is only one of these that is something we believe that you can manage without the help of a professional web developer.
Success criteria 3.2.6, Consistent Help, states that if you’re offering ways to get help on your website, you need to present the information in the same relative order on each page that it’s offered, including details to get in contact with an actual person, the method to get in contact with that person, any self-help options you may have (such as an FAQ), and / or a fully automated contact mechanism (such as a chatbot).
What does that mean? If you’re offering any kind of help on your site, it should be in a consistent location, such as the footer. That information should also be in the same format each time so that it’s always clear to your site visitors. Once the new guidelines are officially released, we’ll provide more details.
If you’re interested in learning more about the new Success Criteria in WCAG 2.2 Level AA, you can review “What’s New In WCAG 2.2 Draft” from the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Accessibility Initiative.
Check back to this page from time-to-time, and check the Content for Everyone blog for any further details on updates that are relevant for you.