Decoding “Label” and “Name” in WCAG

Date & Time

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 - 9:20 AM PDT  

Location

Orange County 1-2  

Description

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 require that interactive elements have a “label” and “name” (often called “accessible name”), but the way these terms are used in WCAG does not always match how they are used by Web Developers. This session will explain how WCAG defines label and name, and how to identify the WCAG label and name in common components like form fields, images, and links. We will also discuss the new WCAG 2.1 requirement for “Label in Name” and the danger of using ARIA labels. WCAG defines an element’s label as: “text or other component with a text alternative that is presented to a user to identify a component within Web content.” It defines name as: “text or other component with a text alternative that is presented to a user to identify a component within Web content”. These definitions are almost identical, but there Is one important difference: “label” is presented to the user and “name” is presented to software or assistive technology, typically screen readers. An interactive element can only string of information presented as the accessible name, but there can be numerous bits of information competing for this spot. When confronted with more than one option, it is vital that different web browsers present the same information as the accessible name. In this session, we will use freely-available tools to identify the accessible name. We will also discuss potential dangers related to ARIA labels.  

Audience

• Higher Education
• Information & Communications Technology
• Disability Specific
• K-12 Education
• Government

Audience Level

Intermediate  

Session Summary (Abstract)

This session will explain how WCAG defines label and name, and how to identify the WCAG label and name in common components like form fields, images, and links.  

Primary Topic

Web  

Secondary Topics

• Digital Accessibility
• Evaluation & Remediation

 

Session Type

General Track  

Presenter

• Jonathan Whiting
  WebAIM

Add to Outlook/iCal (How it works)

Back to Session List