Widget labels must be descriptive

Rule ID Widget 12
Definition The label for elements with a widget roles on a page must sufficiently describe its purpose.
Purpose
  • Labels that are sufficiently descriptive make it possible for people to understand the purposes of elements with widget roles on the page.
Required Yes for HTML4 Legacy Techniques ruleset mapping
WCAG Success Criteria

2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA, Primary Success Criterion)

Rule Category Widgets/Scripting
Scope Element
Target Resources Elements with widget roles on a page
Techniques
  • In some cases the child text nodes and alt from descendant image elements will be used as the label for elements with widget roles.
  • Use aria-labelledby attribute to reference the id(s) of the elements on the page to label elements with widget roles.
  • Use aria-label attribute to provide a explicit label for an element with a widget role.
  • Elements with grouping widget roles may not receive keyboard focus, but giving them a label provides users of assistive technologies a more accurate description of the purpose of the widget
Manual Checks
  • Good labels are both concise and descriptive of the element with widget role purpose.
  • If element with widget roles are arranged in groups, make sure labels include grouping information.
  • Consider using aria-describedby to provide references to instructions or error information.
  • When there is more than one widget of the same type on a page, they need an label for users to uniquely identify the form control.
Informational Links