WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.2, Pointer Cancellation, is a Level A requirement: actions fire on release, not on press.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Actions fire on release, not on press
Checked automatically: clicks through the page. Severity: low. Acting on the down-event removes the chance to slide off a mistaken press, which users with motor impairments rely on.
An approximation: Up to 30 on-screen buttons, links and elements the page attached press handlers to are hovered, then pressed with the pointer held down and released somewhere else. A control whose press changes the address, opens a window or dialog, opens or closes a menu, or changes the page's text before release fails. Focus moving is the browser's own and is ignored, as are writes, which are blocked. Controls beyond the first 30 and controls hidden until another is used are not pressed; an action on press that is essential (a keyboard on screen, a game) is not exempted.
How to fix it. Trigger actions on click or pointerup rather than mousedown, touchstart or pointerdown, so moving off the target before releasing cancels it.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 2.5.3 Label in Name
Questions
Is WCAG 2.5.2 required by the ADA?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses, but the Justice Department's 2022 guidance points businesses to WCAG, and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which includes 2.5.2.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 2.5.2?
Mostly. BearScan checks it automatically (clicks through the page). A clean result still isn't proof every page passes, only the pages scanned.
How do I fix a WCAG 2.5.2 failure?
Trigger actions on click or pointerup rather than mousedown, touchstart or pointerdown, so moving off the target before releasing cancels it.