RE: Text entry box with a single underline...

> My gut feeling here would be that the styling will potentially be a problem for all sighted users, and not specifically an accessibility problem - so a general usability, rather than accessibility, problem.

My internal feeling is that this is a bigger issue for people with low vision and cognitive disabilities and is likely an accessibility issue.  GoFundMe has this issue in Chrome -- they had no borders on the input fields at all -- in IE there are borders.   

Jonathan

Jonathan Avila
Chief Accessibility Officer
SSB BART Group 
jon.avila@ssbbartgroup.com
703.637.8957 (Office) 
Visit us online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Linkedin | Blog
Check out our Digital Accessibility Webinars!


-----Original Message-----
From: Patrick H. Lauke [mailto:redux@splintered.co.uk] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2016 7:19 AM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: Re: Text entry box with a single underline...

On 25/05/2016 11:45, Alistair Garrison wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> I've been asked a question about text entry box styling, but I thought I'd also try and gain some wider input.
>
> If effect, the developer wants to use a text entry box.  In isolation, the background in the text entry box is black, the view it sits in is black, and the box only has a single red border running along the bottom.  The label is above the box.
>
> In my opinion, the created text entry area is difficult for all users to immediately perceive as a text entry area; simple not seeing it as a text entry area.  In this configuration I've been thinking that 1.4.1 Use of Color would be failed, due to the single red line being used as the only indication that it is a text entry area, but surely there must be further Success Criteria that are failed?
>
> The developers have offered-up putting placeholder text in the box, but to my mind this looks like an underlined heading - which again isn't great.
>
> The developers are indicating that this design pattern is becoming more and more common.
>
> The question is then - are there any SC's or Failure Conditions I have missed that would rule out styling a text area in this manner?  If not, should there be?

My gut feeling here would be that the styling will potentially be a problem for all sighted users, and not specifically an accessibility problem - so a general usability, rather than accessibility, problem.

Though it could be argued that certain user groups with cognitive disabilities may be more affected (I'm saying that without any evidence, empirical or otherwise, so take it with a pinch of salt).

P
-- 
Patrick H. Lauke

www.splintered.co.uk | https://github.com/patrickhlauke

http://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | http://redux.deviantart.com

twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke

Received on Wednesday, 25 May 2016 14:48:53 UTC