• Success Criterion 2.5.3
  • Conformance level A

2.5.3 · Label in Name

Lesson overview · Label in Name

In plain language

What a control SAYS on screen must be part of what it's CALLED for assistive tech.

Who it affects

Voice-control users and screen-reader users who depend on spoken names matching visible text.

How to check

Inspect controls with visible text: the accessible name must contain that exact visible text. Worked example — A streaming music app's search results: compare the visible label to the accessible name character by character: if the label text is broken apart, reordered, or interrupted by injected hidden words, it fails matching.

Common misconception

An aria-label that adds *extra* context beyond the visible label is fine. The failure is when the aria-label replaces the visible words entirely, so voice-control users saying the visible label get no match. Real example: on a crowdfunding platform's campaign page, the name announced to screen readers is different from the label printed on the control — voice-control users say the visible label ('Click Search') and nothing happens.

Learn more

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Scenarios in this lesson