Re: WCAG technique H44 test procedure for radio buttons and checkboxes

Hi David,

The position of the label referred to is the code position. This is so that people who use screen readers hear the label at the appropriate time. Using CSS you can position the label wherever you like – so long as it is clearly associated to the relevant input area.

One thing I am not happy about with check boxes (H44) is that the guideline says AFTER the button. For my screen reader (old jaws) this only works if the <label> wraps both the text and the button. If you place the label after the button (using <label for-“"xx”> ) I hear the label AFTER passing the check box and have to back peddle if I want to check it ! Perhaps wiser brains than me can explain this anomaly

Regards
Richard

From: David Todd 
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 2:53 PM
To: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org 
Subject: WCAG technique H44 test procedure for radio buttons and checkboxes

Hello,

I have some questions about the WCAG H44 test procedure for radio buttons and checkboxes: http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG-TECHS/H44#H44-tests

One of the steps in the procedure says: "Check that there is a label element that identifies the purpose of the control after the input element"

My questions are about the "after the input element" clause and are as follows:


  a.. Should the test procedure prescribe where a label resides? 
  b.. If yes, does "after the input element" mean visually or physically?  For example, may a label physically reside above a button and the author uses CSS to render it to the right?

Thank you.

David Todd
720-663-2815
IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center