- Success Criterion 3.3.2
- Conformance level A
Field With Only an ARIA Label and No Visible Label
3.3.2 — Labels or Instructions
Scenario
Setting
A news outlet's article page
What’s wrong
Field has a programmatic name only (aria-label) with no persistent visible label — sighted-cognition users get placeholder-or-nothing.
Example
On a news outlet's article page, a visitor hits this wall: field has a programmatic name only (aria-label) with no persistent visible label — sighted-cognition users get placeholder-or-nothing.
Why it matters
Everyone filling forms, especially people with cognitive disabilities and magnifier users. Here, on a news outlet's article page, the result is they can't complete the form at all.
How to test
Inspect the field in DevTools: if it has only an aria-label (no persistent visible label on screen), sighted users relying on visual scanning get nothing.
How to fix
A persistent visible label must be provided, required status must be marked visually AND programmatically (with any symbol explained), and format rules stated before input.
Outcome
After the fix, the same visitor to a news outlet's article page can now see exactly what went wrong and how to fix it.
Who is affected
Everyone filling forms, especially people with cognitive disabilities and magnifier users.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Multi-Part Field Like a Phone Number With No Text Label
- Icon-Only Search Field With No Accessible Label
- Placeholder Text Used as the Only Label, Vanishing on Input
- Required Input Format Never Stated Until After an Error
- No Indication of Which Fields on a Form Are Required
- Radio Button Group Missing Its Question or Prompt Text