RE: LC 654: failure due to omitting form labels

Christophe wrote:
<blockquote>
Test Procedure:
For all input elements of type text, file or password, for all textareas

and for all select elements in the Web unit:
</blockquote>

I know I've been out of the loop, so please forgive me if this has been
addressed elsewhere-- input of type=radio and type=checkbox should be
included here, I think.

John

"Good design is accessible design."

Dr. John M. Slatin, Director 
Accessibility Institute
University of Texas at Austin 
FAC 248C 
1 University Station G9600 
Austin, TX 78712 
ph 512-495-4288, fax 512-495-4524 
email jslatin@mail.utexas.edu 
Web http://www.utexas.edu/research/accessibility 



-----Original Message-----
From: public-wcag-teamc-request@w3.org
[mailto:public-wcag-teamc-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Christophe
Strobbe
Sent: Monday, July 17, 2006 5:25 PM
To: public-wcag-teamc@w3.org
Subject: Re: LC 654: failure due to omitting form labels




I'm resending the failure with the changes that we discussed in the
telecon.


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 where the visual design allows the use of labels.

[Notes below are copied from H44.]

Note 1: 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 2: 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 3: 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:

1. check that the visual design allows the use of labels;
2. if step 1 is true, check that a label element that identifies the 
purpose of the control is 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: for consistency, the procedure of H44 needs to be changed to use 
wording like identifies the purpose of the control" instead of "at least

one printable character".]

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?i
d=654.



[1] 
http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20/issue-tracking/viewdata_individual.php?i
d=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 Tuesday, 18 July 2006 01:22:26 UTC