WCAG 2.2.2 — Moving Content Cannot Be Paused

Who Is Affected

Users with ADHD or other attention disorders who find moving content distracting, people with vestibular disorders who experience dizziness from animation, users with cognitive disabilities who need more time to process information, and anyone using assistive technology like screen readers.

What This Means

When content moves, blinks, scrolls, or auto-updates for more than 5 seconds, users must have a way to pause, stop, or hide it. This includes auto-playing image carousels, news tickers, rotating banners, animated graphics, and live data feeds.

The requirement applies to any moving content that:

• Starts automatically
• Is presented in parallel with other content
• Continues for more than 5 seconds

Essential exceptions include loading indicators and content where timing is critical to the activity.

Fix: CMS / Theme

Most violations come from theme components like hero sliders, news carousels, or animated elements that lack proper controls.

For Auto-Playing Slideshows/Carousels

1. In Joomla: Go to Extensions → Modules → find your slideshow module

   • Look for "Auto Play" or "Auto Advance" settings and disable them, OR
   • Enable "Show Controls" or "Navigation Controls" to provide pause/play buttons
   • Set "Pause on Hover" to true if available

2. In WordPress: Navigate to Appearance → Widgets or Appearance → Customize

   • Find your slider/carousel widget settings
   • Disable "Autoplay" or "Auto Rotate", OR
   • Enable "Show Controls" or "Show Navigation"
   • Enable "Pause on Hover" if the option exists

For Animated Elements

1. Check your theme's animation settings:
   • Joomla: Extensions → Templates → Your Template → Advanced
   • WordPress: Appearance → Customize → Animation Settings
2. Either disable auto-playing animations or ensure they stop after 5 seconds
3. If keeping animations, add CSS to respect prefers-reduced-motion:

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .animated-element {
    animation: none;
  }
}

Fix: Content Editor

For moving content added through page builders or content editors:

1. Identify the moving element on your page (slider, animated text, etc.)
2. Edit the element and look for these settings:
   • Auto-play: Turn OFF
   • Show controls: Turn ON
   • Loop: Turn OFF (unless controls are provided)
   • Duration: Set to 5 seconds maximum if no controls
3. Test the controls to ensure users can pause, stop, or navigate manually
4. For embedded content (videos, third-party widgets):
   • Use the platform's built-in controls (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
   • Set autoplay="false" in embed codes
   • Ensure the embedded player includes pause/stop buttons

Standard Reference

WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.2.2 — Pause, Stop, Hide, Level A

For moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating information that starts automatically, lasts more than five seconds, and is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it unless the movement, blinking, or scrolling is part of an activity where it is essential.

• W3C Understanding SC 2.2.2
• WCAG Technique G4 — Allowing content to be paused
• WCAG Technique G11 — Creating content that blinks for less than 5 seconds
• WCAG Technique G186 — Using a control in the Web page
• WCAG Failure F16 — Moving text without pause mechanism
• WCAG Failure F47 — Auto-refreshing without user control