Axe Core Guide

The destination, purpose, function, or action of an ARIA command element must be made clear in understandable text for screen reader users.

The function of items with the roles link, button, or menuitem that lack an accessible name cannot be understood by screen reader users.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Verifies that all elements with the roles link, button, or menuitem have a clear, understandable name.

Elements with aria-hidden must not contain focusable elements.

Using the property aria-hidden="true" on an element removes the element and all of its child nodes from the accessibility API, rendering the element fully unavailable to screen readers and other assistive technology.

aria-hidden may be used with extreme discretion to hide visibly displayed content from assistive technologies if the act of hiding this content is meant to enhance the experience of assistive technology users by reducing redundant or superfluous content.

If aria-hidden is employed to hide material from screen readers, the same or equal meaning and functionality must be made available to assistive technologies.

Using aria-hidden="false" on content that is a descendant of an element that is hidden using aria-hidden="true" will not reveal that content to the accessibility API, nor will it be accessible to screen readers or other assistive technology.

The rule applies to any element whose aria-hidden attribute value is true.

By adding aria-hidden="true" to an element, authors assure that assistive technologies will disregard the element. This can be used to hide aesthetic elements, such as icon typefaces, that are not intended to be read by assistive technologies.

A focusable element with aria-hidden="true" is disregarded as part of the reading order, but is still part of the focus order, making it unclear if it is visible or hidden.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

For all user interface components, including form elements, links, and script-generated components, the name and role can be identified programmatically; user-specified states, properties, and values can be set programmatically; and user agents, including assistive technologies, are notified of changes.

For screen reader users, aria meter elements must have legible language that defines the destination, function, or action.

Users of screen readers are unable to determine the function of items with role="meter" but no accessible name.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Checks that all items with role="meter" have a distinguishable, accessible name.

For screen reader users, Aria progressbar items must include understandable language that specifies the destination, purpose, or action.

Users of screen readers are unable to determine the purpose of items with the role="progressbar" attribute that lack an accessible name.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Checks that all items with role="progressbar" have a distinguishable, accessible name.

Makes certain that a form field doesn’t have multiple labels.

For some combinations of screen readers and browsers, adding several labels to the same form field can result in issues, and the outcomes vary depending on the combination. The first label will be read by some combinations. The last label will be read by some. Both labels will be read by others.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Makes certain that a form field doesn’t have multiple labels.

Each form element must have a label element attached with it programmatically.

Forms must have effective form labels in order to be accessible. Form elements like as checkboxes, radio buttons, input fields, etc. are frequently self-explanatory to sighted users, even if they are not programmatically labeled. Users with screen readers require descriptive form labels to identify form fields. Adding labels to all form elements removes uncertainty and makes the product more accessible.

When form elements lack labels, screen reader users are unaware of the expected data input. Screen readers cannot determine information about input items programmatically in the absence of an established label association (or redundant text functioning as a label).

Since clicking the label activates the control, people with weak motor control do not benefit from a bigger clickable area for the control.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Ensures that each form element has a label associated with it programmatically.

A label element with a programmatic association must be included for each select element.

To make forms accessible, they must have clear form labels. Even if a form element isn’t programmatically named, sighted users can usually tell what it’s for when they see checkboxes, radio buttons, input fields, etc. To identify form fields, screen reader users need clear form labels. All form elements should have labels to remove confusion and make the product more accessible.

Screen reader users are in the dark about the expected input data when form elements lack labels. Without a defined label connection (or redundant text acting as a label), screen readers cannot automatically determine information about input items.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

ensures that each select element has a label that is associated with it programmatically.

An image map consists of a single image with numerous clickable sections. Because screen readers cannot translate graphics into text, an image map, like all images, must contain alternative text for each of the distinct clickable parts, as well as for the larger image itself.

In the absence of alternative text, screen readers often announce the image’s filename. Filenames do not accurately describe images and are therefore inconvenient for screen reader users.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Ensures that image map area elements have alternative text.

Not all ARIA role-attribute combinations are valid. This rule ensures that each role has the required qualities.

Using ARIA attributes in roles where they are not permitted can impair web page accessibility. Using an improper role-attribute combination will have no effect on application accessibility at best and may trigger behavior that blocks accessibility for entire areas of an application at worst.

When ARIA attributes are used on HTML elements that do not conform to WAI-ARIA 1.1, they interfere with the semantics of the elements, causing assistive technology products to display nonsensical user interface (UI) information that does not represent the document’s true UI.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Checks that each element with an ARIA role is using only the ARIA attributes that are permitted for that role.

aria-braille attributes must have a non-braille equivalent.

WAI-ARIA requires that the aria-braillelabel attribute is only ever used on elements with an accessible name, such as from aria-label. Similarly, aria-brailleroledescription is required to only ever be used on elements with aria-roledescription.

ARIA braille attributes were introduced to allow adjusting how labels and role descriptions are rendered on a braille display. They cannot be the only attribute providing a label, or a role description. When used without a corresponding label or role description ARIA says to ignore these attributes, although this may not happen consistently in screen readers and other assistive technologies.

How to Fix this Issue

• The aria-braillelabel or aria-brailleroledescription attribute may have been placed on the wrong element, such as a parent or child of the correct element. The attribute should be put on a different element.
• The element with aria-braillelabel attribute needs an aria-label attribute or other attribute that gives it an accessible name.
• The element with aria-brailleroledescription attribute needs a aria-roledescription attribute.
• The aria-braillelabel or aria-brailleroledescription attribute serves no function and should be removed.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Checks that aria-braillelabel is only used on elements with a non-empty label, and that aria-brailleroledescription is only used on elements with a non-empty aria-roledescription.