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WCAG 2.2 Level AAA Checklist

The highest level of accessibility conformance. Level AAA represents the gold standard for web accessibility with 31 enhanced success criteria.

Gold Standard
Enhanced Accessibility
31 Criteria
31
Level AAA Criteria
Enhanced accessibility standards

About Level AAA

Level AAA is the highest level of WCAG conformance. While not required for entire websites, achieving AAA for specific content demonstrates exceptional commitment to accessibility.

  • •Recommended for specialized content (educational, healthcare, government)
  • •Often required for specific use cases or high-traffic pages
  • •Demonstrates commitment to the highest accessibility standards

Progress Overview

0/86
Total Progress
0%
Complete
0/24
Level AA
0/31
Level AAA
0 of 86 criteria completed

Filtering & Controls

Showing 31 of 86 criteria
1.2.6
AAA

Sign Language (Prerecorded)

Sign language interpretation is provided for all prerecorded audio content.

1.2.7
AAA

Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded)

Extended audio description is provided when regular audio description is insufficient.

1.2.8
AAA

Media Alternative (Prerecorded)

A text alternative is provided for all prerecorded synchronized media.

1.2.9
AAA

Audio-only (Live)

A text alternative is provided for live audio-only content.

1.3.6
AAA

Identify Purpose

The purpose of User Interface Components can be programmatically determined.

1.4.6
AAA

Contrast (Enhanced)

Text has a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 (4.5:1 for large text).

1.4.7
AAA

Low or No Background Audio

Audio content has no background sounds or they can be turned off.

1.4.8
AAA

Visual Presentation

Text content presentation can be adjusted by the user.

1.4.9
AAA

Images of Text (No Exception)

Images of text are only used for decoration or where essential.

2.1.3
AAA

Keyboard (No Exception)

All functionality is available from a keyboard interface without exception.

2.2.3
AAA

No Timing

Timing is not an essential part of the event or activity.

2.2.4
AAA

Interruptions

Interruptions can be postponed or suppressed by the user.

2.2.5
AAA

Re-authenticating

User data is preserved when a session expires and re-authentication is required.

2.2.6
AAA

Timeouts

Users are warned of the duration of inactivity that could cause data loss.

2.3.2
AAA

Three Flashes

Web pages do not contain anything that flashes more than three times per second.

2.3.3
AAA

Animation from Interactions

Motion animation triggered by interaction can be disabled.

2.4.10
AAA

Section Headings

Section headings are used to organize the content.

2.4.12
AAA

Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced)

When a component receives keyboard focus, no part of it is hidden.

2.4.13
AAA

Focus Appearance

The focus indicator has sufficient size and contrast.

2.4.8
AAA

Location

Information about the user's location within a set of pages is available.

2.4.9
AAA

Link Purpose (Link Only)

The purpose of each link can be identified from the link text alone.

2.5.5
AAA

Target Size (Enhanced)

Target size is at least 44 by 44 CSS pixels except in specific cases.

2.5.6
AAA

Concurrent Input Mechanisms

Content does not restrict use of input modalities.

3.1.3
AAA

Unusual Words

A mechanism is available for identifying specific definitions of words.

3.1.4
AAA

Abbreviations

A mechanism for identifying the expanded form of abbreviations is available.

3.1.5
AAA

Reading Level

Text requires reading ability no higher than lower secondary education level.

3.1.6
AAA

Pronunciation

A mechanism is available for identifying pronunciation of words.

3.2.5
AAA

Change on Request

Changes of context are initiated only by user request.

3.3.5
AAA

Help

Context-sensitive help is available.

3.3.6
AAA

Error Prevention (All)

All user input can be checked and confirmed before submission.

3.3.9
AAA

Accessible Authentication (Enhanced)

Authentication methods don't rely on cognitive function tests.

WCAG Level AAA FAQ

What is WCAG Level AAA?

WCAG Level AAA is the highest level of accessibility conformance in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It includes all Level A and AA criteria plus 31 additional enhanced criteria that provide the highest level of accessibility for users with disabilities.

Is WCAG AAA compliance required?

WCAG AAA is not typically required for entire websites, and the guidelines themselves note that it is not possible to satisfy all AAA criteria for some content. It is worth targeting for specialized content such as educational materials, healthcare information, and government services where maximum accessibility matters, and most laws and procurement rules reference Level AA as the bar instead.

What are the main differences between Level AA and AAA?

Level AAA adds stricter requirements, including a 7:1 contrast ratio for normal text rather than 4.5:1, sign language interpretation for prerecorded audio, extended audio descriptions, no timing limits on interactions, reading level and pronunciation requirements, and context-sensitive help. Several of these depend on producing extra media or editorial work rather than on code changes, which is why AAA is usually scoped to specific content instead of an entire site.

How many success criteria are in WCAG 2.2 Level AAA?

WCAG 2.2 Level AAA includes 31 success criteria beyond the 55 criteria in Levels A and AA, bringing the total to 86 success criteria across all three levels (Level A has 31 and Level AA has 24).