RE: form controls to the left or right of labels?

I think the wording in version 1 does require the labels to follow the
controls. I don't know what is best, but if we can establish that the label
element works well enough we can simply publish that information and point
out that therefore the checkpoint is no longer applicable in 1.0

I would note that the requirement to position the name t the right breaks
i18n requirements anyway...

cheers

Charles

On Mon, 17 Dec 2001, Gregg Vanderheiden wrote:

  Hmmm

  I think we need to separate this into two questions.

  1)  what does WCAG 1.0 actually say.

  2)  what should it (or WCAG 2.0) say.


  I think that 2.0 should NOT require radio buttons be to the right.  This
  is not according to convention -- and often won’t work well visually.

  1.0 should not require it -- but the wording may imply that.  If so we
  should post a note that the position rule is not to apply to radio
  buttons or checkboxes as a requirement for compliance.

  Gregg



  -- ------------------------------
  Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D.
  Professor - Human Factors
  Dept of Ind. Engr. - U of Wis.
  Director - Trace R & D Center
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  FAX 608/262-8848 
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  > -----Original Message-----
  > From: w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org] On
  > Behalf Of gian@stanleymilford.com.au
  > Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 7:32 PM
  > To: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
  > Subject: RE: form controls to the left or right of labels?
  >
  > I would say this does violate the guideline, as from my perspective I
  > would expect that the reasoning behind this checkpoint is for people
  > using screen-readers: they need to know what the option is before they
  > select it. So for example, having the radio button to the left of the
  > text would mean the screen-reader would read "Radio button unchecked.
  1
  > pack. Radio button unchecked. 2 packs" etc.
  >
  > -----Original Message-----
  > From: Mathew.Mirabella [mailto:Mathew.Mirabella@team.telstra.com]
  > Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 11:41 AM
  > To: w3c-wai-gl
  > Subject: form controls to the left or right of labels?
  >
  >
  > All.
  >
  > According to WCAG 1.0, labels for form controls should appear
  immediatly
  > before the control (or above it if there is only one control on the
  > line).
  > This usually means the label should appear just to the left of the
  > control.
  >
  > This is fine for text entry fields and boxes and pull-down menus.
  > However,
  > for checkboxes and radio buttons, you often want to place the label to
  > the
  > right of the checkbox or radio button.  Does doing this violate the
  > guideline?
  >
  > What are the current views of people on this issue.
  >



-- 
Charles McCathieNevile    http://www.w3.org/People/Charles  phone: +61 409 134 136
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative     http://www.w3.org/WAI    fax: +1 617 258 5999
Location: 21 Mitchell street FOOTSCRAY Vic 3011, Australia
(or W3C INRIA, Route des Lucioles, BP 93, 06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France)

Received on Monday, 17 December 2001 14:50:29 UTC