• Success Criterion 1.3.3
  • Conformance level A

Instruction That Relies on an Audio Cue With No Visual Backup

1.3.3 — Sensory Characteristics

Scenario

Setting

A calendar app's event-creation form

What’s wrong

Audio-only cues: "when you hear the chime, proceed".

Example 

<p>Wait for the chime, then close this window.</p>

function saveEvent() {
  // save logic
  new Audio('chime.mp3').play();
}

Why it matters

A deaf or hard-of-hearing user, or anyone in a noisy room or with sound muted, never hears the chime and cannot tell whether it is safe to close the window.

How to test

Read the instruction alone: 'when you hear the chime, proceed' relies purely on sound — check for a visual/text equivalent for deaf users.

How to fix

Pair every audio cue with a visible, text-based confirmation announced through aria-live, so no one depends on hearing it.

<p id="save-status" role="status">Wait for the "Event saved" message, then close this window.</p>

function saveEvent() {
  // save logic
  new Audio('chime.mp3').play();
  document.getElementById('save-status').textContent = 'Event saved.';
}

Outcome

A deaf user sees "Event saved" appear on screen and closes the window with confidence.

Who is affected

Deaf and hard-of-hearing users, and anyone with a muted or silenced device, receive no signal that saving finished.

Learn more

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