Update styles, components and patterns to WCAG 2.2 AA

[dav-idc]

What

Timeline: November 2022 to July 2023
Priority level: 1 – what we must do legally
Category: Design system fundamentals

Potential tasks

• Assess the readiness and work needed to bring the GOV.UK Design System in line with WCAG 2.2
• Determine which styles, components and patterns require updating or further research
• Update styles, components and patterns, likely with a ‘breaking release’

Epic lead

@dav-idc @stevenjmesser

Why

WCAG 2.2 is set to be published in 2023.

We plan to release a version of the GOV.UK Frontend library that has styles, components and patterns which meet WCAG 2.2. Our goal is to release that around 6 months after WCAG 2.2 is officially published.

We're hoping that releasing at the 6-month mark still gives service teams enough time to implement the updated GOV.UK Frontend version into their services, before the not-yet-confirmed grace period expires.

Who needs to work on this

Everyone: developers, interaction designers, user researcher, accessibility specialist, content designers, product manager.

Who needs to review this

Inside the team: tech leads and accessibility specialist.

Outside the team: ideally service teams in the design system community.

Discovery

Preview Give feedback

1. Assess how each WCAG 2.2 criterion may affect existing styles, components and patterns #3177
   WCAG 2.2 accessibility epic +3
   
2. Conduct WCAG 2.2 external accessibility audit of styles, components and patterns for 2023 #3329
   4 of 4
   WCAG 2.2 accessibility epic +3
   
3. Desk research
4. Test components and patterns for complex WCAG 2.2 criteria (target, focus appearance, focus not obscured) #4347
   3 of 7
   WCAG 2.2 epic +2
   

Update

Preview Give feedback

1. WCAG 2.2 AA updates to guidance to comply, and help teams to comply, with new criteria govuk-design-system#2729
   20 of 20
   WCAG 2.2 accessibility accessibility strategy activities epic website +5
   

   
2. Design and development updates following desk research and DAC audit #3946
   16 of 16
   WCAG 2.2 audit may 2023 epic +3
   
3. WCAG 2.2: Create GitHub issues for development work govuk-design-system#2654
   2 of 2
   WCAG 2.2 accessibility epic +3
   
4. Components and patterns that need a guidance change to meet WCAG 2.1 #4038
   11 of 11
   accessibility epic guidance +3
   

   
5. Update guidance as a result of WCAG 2.2 development work govuk-design-system#3065
   epic +1
   
6. https://github.com/alphagov/design-system-team-internal/issues/663
7. Re-audit GOV.UK Frontend

Coordinate

Preview Give feedback

1. Track WCAG 2.2 task completion and timing estimates govuk-design-system#3128
   WCAG 2.2 accessibility analysis analytics +4
   
2. https://github.com/alphagov/design-system-team-internal/issues/717
3. Determine if we have breaking changes, decide on a release strategy #4466
   +0
4. Submit issues and PRs to WCAG 2.2 understanding documents (AG Working Group), as needed
5. Keep a 'snag' list of outstanding issues govuk-design-system#3329
   0 of 3
   epic +1

Release

Preview Give feedback

1. Coordinate a simultaneous Frontend release, website update, guidance update and comms push
2. Create and publish documentation for DAC Audit 2023 #3814
   2 of 2
   accessibility audit may 2023 +2
   
3. Update accessibility statement after Frontend V5 release govuk-design-system#3129
   accessibility accessibility statement website +3
   
4. Update the accessibility statement and strategy after our WCAG 2.2 release govuk-design-system#3332
   WCAG 2.2 accessibility documentation +3

Review

Preview Give feedback

1. https://github.com/alphagov/design-system-team-internal/issues/865

Related projects boards

• Conduct WCAG 2.2 external accessibility audit of styles, components and patterns for 2023
• Create WCAG 2.2 guidance content
• Update govuk-frontend to comply with WCAG 2.2 AA