RE: Should we require labels to be always visible?

I agree with Patrick

​​​​​* katie *
 
Katie Haritos-Shea 
Principal ICT Accessibility Architect (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)
 
Cell: 703-371-5545 | ryladog@gmail.com | Oakton, VA | LinkedIn Profile | Office: 703-371-5545 | @ryladog

NOTE: The content of this email should be construed to always be an expression of my own personal independent opinion, unless I identify that I am speaking on behalf of Knowbility, as their AC Rep at the W3C - and - that my personal email never expresses the opinion of my employer, Deque Systems.

-----Original Message-----
From: Patrick H. Lauke [mailto:redux@splintered.co.uk] 
Sent: Saturday, January 7, 2017 12:31 PM
To: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
Subject: Re: Should we require labels to be always visible?

On 07/01/2017 14:50, Marla Runyan wrote:
> Glenda,
>
> I totally agree:
>
>   * A placeholder alone in a form field does not qualify as a label for
>     sighted users because it is not always present. Note: A placeholder,
>     then supplemented by a label (even if the label does not visually
>     appear until after the user focuses on the field) is enough to pass
>     - so long as a label is always programmatically associated.
>
> BUT - What if the placeholder text is styled to meet contrast specs
> (4.5:1) and is also styled to remain visible until the user begins 
> typing - would placeholder text under these conditions qualify as a 
> visible label when a programmatic label is also present?

No because once something has been entered in the field, there is no more visible text acting as a label present for sighted users who are not using AT.

Contrast is orthogonal to this discussion, as it's a separate issue.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

www.splintered.co.uk | https://github.com/patrickhlauke http://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | http://redux.deviantart.com
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Received on Saturday, 7 January 2017 17:42:17 UTC