Re: LC 654: failure due to omitting form labels

I'm resending the failure that should address LC 654 [1], with some changes 
after a comment from Becky.


Short Name: Failure due to omitting labels for form controls for item 
selection or text input
Technique Category: HTML Techniques
Guideline Reference: content-structure-separation-programmatic
Success Criterion Reference: SC 1.3.1 (and 4.1.2)


Applicability:
HTML and XHTML controls that use external labels


UA Issues:
The HTML specification allows both implicit and explicit labels. However, 
many assistive technologies do not correctly handle implicit labels (for 
example, <label>First name <input type="text" name="firstname"></label>).

[This is copied from technique H44: Using label elements to associate text 
labels with form controls]


Description:
The objective of this technique is to describe a failure that occurs when
no label elements are used to explicitly associate a form control with a
label<ins> where the visual design allows the use of labels</ins>.

[Notes below are copied from H44.]

Note: Elements that use explicitly associated labels are
* input type="text",
* input type="checkbox",
* input type="radio",
* input type="file",
* input type="password",
* textarea,
* select.

Note 1: The label element is not used for the following:
* submit and reset buttons (input type="submit" or input type="reset"),
* image buttons (input type="image"),
* hidden input fields (input type="hidden"),
* script buttons (button elements or <input type="button">).

Note 2: Labels for these elements are implicitly associated via the value 
attribute (for Submit and Reset buttons), the alt attribute (for image 
buttons), or element content (button).



Related Techniques:
H44: Using label elements to associate text labels with form controls
H65: Using the title attribute to identify form controls when the label 
element cannot be used



Test Procedure:
For all input elements of type text, file or password, for all textareas 
and for all select elements in the Web unit:

<ins>1. check that the visual design allows the use of labels;</ins>
2. if step 1 is true, check that there is a label element with at least one 
printable character associated with the input element;
3. if step 1 is false, check that the input element has a title attribute 
that identifies the purpose of the control.
[Note: "at least one printable character" is wording also used in H44; 
"identifies the purpose of the control" is wording also used in H65.
We could reword the above step 2 as: "if step 1 is true, check that a label 
element that identifies the purpose of the control is associated with the 
input element". In that case, I think H44 should be reworded in the same way.]

Expected Result:
If step 2 or 3 is false, then this failure condition applies and the 
content fails the success criterion.


Additional Notes:
This also applies to SC 4.1.2. See LC comment 654: 
http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20/issue-tracking/viewdata_individual.php?id=654.



[1] 
http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20/issue-tracking/viewdata_individual.php?id=654

Regards,

Christophe


-- 
Christophe Strobbe
K.U.Leuven - Departement of Electrical Engineering - Research Group on 
Document Architectures
Kasteelpark Arenberg 10 - 3001 Leuven-Heverlee - BELGIUM
tel: +32 16 32 85 51
http://www.docarch.be/

Received on Monday, 17 July 2006 20:16:14 UTC