Does placeholder text in form fields need to meet 1.4.3?

Name: Glenda Sims
Email: glenda.sims@deque.com
Affiliation: 
Document: QR
Item Number: Success Criterion 1.4.3
Part of Item: 
Comment Type: question
Summary of Issue: Does placeholder text in form fields need to meet 1.4.3?
Comment (Including rationale for any proposed change):
We are having a debate (within Deque and with a client) on the color contrast of placeholder text. The default color of placeholder text in browsers does not meet the 4.5 to 1 color contrast requirement.  At Deque, we consider placeholder text to be instructions (valuable information) and so we have been calling a violation on placeholder text that isn't 4.5 to 1 (assuming it isn't large).  I see a great article by Steve Faulkner on this very subject at http://blog.paciellogroup.com/2011/02/html5-accessibility-chops-the-placeholder-attribute/   Now, the big question is, what do you say?  Is color contrast of 4.5 to 1 required on regular size placeholder text to meet WCAG 2.0 SC 1.4.3?

Proposed Change:
Whatever you decide, could you add some notes to http://www.w3.org/TR/2014/NOTE-WCAG20-TECHS-20140408/G148 so that in the future we will have more than just this question/answer to refer to?  Merci!

Received on Wednesday, 16 July 2014 13:33:05 UTC