- Success Criterion 1.3.1
- Conformance level A
Required Field Marked Only Visually, Not in the Code
1.3.1 — Info and Relationships
Scenario
Setting
A public library's catalog search
What’s wrong
Required state shown visually (asterisk/color) with no programmatic indication (required/aria-required (code marking a field required)) *and* no text.
Example
<div class="heading">Shipping Address</div>Why it matters
Screen-reader, braille, and reading-tool users who depend on coded structure rather than visual layout.
How to test
Focus a required field with a screen reader: it should announce 'required' — if only a visual asterisk exists with no aria-required or required attribute, it fails.
How to fix
Mark required fields programmatically (required or aria-required (code marking a field required)) in addition to the visible indicator.
<h2>Shipping Address</h2>A real heading element exposes the section structure to assistive tech; a styled div doesn't.
Outcome
On a public library's catalog search, this barrier is gone for screen-reader, braille — they get the same result as anyone else here.
Who is affected
Screen-reader, braille, and reading-tool users who depend on coded structure rather than visual layout.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Text Styled to Look Like a Heading Instead of Coded as One
- Text Columns Faked With Spaces Instead of Real Table Markup
- Table Layout Faked With Spaces Instead of Real Table Code
- Clickable Div Acting as a Link Button With No Real Role
- Structural HTML Tags Used Purely for Visual Styling
- Layout-Only Table Wrongly Coded With Real Header Cells