Accessibility Checking for Large Sites

Ensures every ARIA input field has an accessible name.

This rule ensures that each ARIA input field has a name that is accessible.

There must be accessible names for the following input field roles:

• combobox
• listbox
• searchbox
• slider
• spinbutton
• textbox

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

The names of ARIA input fields must be accessible.

Makes certain that each ARIA toggle field has an accessible name.

Ensures that any element having a semantic role has a name that is easily accessible.

Among the semantic roles are:

• checkbox
• menu
• menuitemcheckbox
• menuitemradio
• radio
• radiogroup
• switch

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

There is an accessible name for ARIA toggle fields.

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.

The h1 through h6 element tags must be in a sequentially-descending order for headings to be in a correct logical order.

The fundamental goal of headers is to communicate the page’s organizational structure. The same goal is served by employing various font sizes for sighted users.

For screen reader users, however, text size is useless because a screen reader can only recognize a header if it is correctly marked up. When header components are used correctly, both sighted and screen reader users will find it much simpler to traverse the page.

Users of screen readers can navigate between headings in the same manner that sighted users might skim a page to gain a sense of its contents. Users, especially those who use screen readers, can save a ton of time and stress by using well-written, logically-arranged headings.

Headings serve to explain the organization of the webpage, not only to draw attention to key text. They ought to be succinct, distinct, and accompanied by h1 through h6 components used in hierarchical order. Headings are useful tools for screen reader users because of all of these characteristics. Screen reader users can move among headings in a manner akin to how sighted readers can quickly scan a page and get a sense of its content. Screen readers can save time and stress by using headings that are clearly written and arranged.

Since search engines employ headings when filtering, arranging, and showing results, headings offer other advantages outside just making the page more easily accessible. Making your website more searchable is another benefit of making it more accessible.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Ensures the semantic accuracy of the headings’ order.

For multilingual screen reader users who may prefer a language different than the default, the HTML content must contain a valid lang attribute or correlate to a valid lang code. If included on the html element, the xml:lang property value must exactly duplicate the value of the lang.

Users choose a default language when configuring a screen reader. If the language of a webpage is not provided, the screen reader uses the user’s default language. Users who speak and access websites in various languages have difficulties. For screen readers to function properly, a default language must be specified and ensured to be valid.

Screen readers employ various sound libraries for each language based on its pronunciation and characteristics. Screen readers can simply switch between language libraries if documents specify which language(s) should be read. Screen readers view texts in the user’s default language if the language is not specified, resulting in distorted language. When screen readers use the incorrect language library, it can be difficult to understand anything.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Ensures that every HTML document includes a valid lang attribute, and that the xml:lang value, if present, replicates the lang value.

Banner landmark cannot be nested within another landmark.

If the banner landmark is not the top-level landmark (and is located within another landmark), it does not effectively designate the pre-defined header area of the layout, preventing screen reader users from navigating the layout with ease.

Landmarks are utilized to denote areas of the overall page layout and design. Utilizing headings to identify parts within the article.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

This rule identifies (banner / contentinfo) landmarks and walks up the document’s structure to ensure that no more landmark roles are met before reaching the body.

Ensures the complementary landmark or aside is at top level.

Complementary content is content that supports the primary idea of a page or document. Users of screen readers have the option to bypass supplemental content that shows at the accessibility API’s top level. Embedding an <aside> element within another landmark may prevent the ability for screen reader users to browse through supplemental content.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Do not insert <aside> elements or elements containing role="complementary" inside landmark-marked content.

The contentinfo landmark must be at top level.

Placement of the contentinfo landmark within another landmark can contradict its purpose by preventing blind screen reader users from rapidly locating and navigating to the intended landmark.

It defeats the purpose of an existing contentinfo landmark when screen reader users must wade through too much extra information to discover what they seek, such as not being able to quickly determine which landmark provides the content information they seek.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

This rule locates the components corresponding to the footer:not([role]) and [role="contentinfo"] selectors, and then tests whether the landmark has a body context.

Best practice dictates that the primary landmark should not be enclosed within another landmark. All content must be contained within discrete areas, such as the header (role="banner"), body (role="main"), and footer (role="contentinfo").

Screen reader users can navigate a website much more easily if the content is divided into several high-level categories. It is difficult to locate content outside of these categories, and its purpose may be obscure.

Historically, HTML lacked essential semantic markers, such as the ability to define page sections as the header, navigation, primary content, and footer. Using both HTML5 elements and ARIA landmarks in the same element is considered an excellent practice, but as browser compatibility improves, HTML regions will likely become more popular in the future.

HTML Living Standard says “A hierarchically correct main element is one whose ancestor elements are limited to <html>, <body>, <div>, <form> without an accessible name, and autonomous custom elements. Each main element must be a hierarchically correct main element”. This may be a “recommended practice” according to W3C validation.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

Ensures that all page content falls within a landmark region.

Ensures there is only one banner landmark at most on the page.

Landmarks enable blind people to navigate and rapidly locate content. In the absence of landmarks, screen reader users must wade through too much unnecessary information to locate anything.

JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver all support using ARIA landmarks to navigate to specific portions of a web page. Landmarks offer a more elegant answer to the challenge of offering a way for readers to bypass the page’s main content. There is no visible change to the website’s layout, making it inconspicuous and undetectable. Obviously, the fact that this technique is invisible is advantageous for users of screen readers, but not for sighted keyboard users or users of screen magnifiers with impaired eyesight. In this sense, HTML 5 regions and ARIA landmarks cannot replace the conventional “skip navigation” links just yet.

There is presently no method built into browsers to alert users when HTML 5 regions or ARIA landmarks are available. Users of screen readers are the only ones who can benefit from them. There is a Firefox ARIA landmark extension that provides landmark navigation to Firefox, however this is not a native browser capability.

What this Accessibility Rule Checks

This rule locates all banner landmarks, filters out those that do not correspond to their job, and checks that there is only one.