theme: Code and Labels
Technical markup and naming conventions that help assistive tech understand the page.
3.1.2 Language of Parts
Any parts of the content in a different language must be marked with the correct lang attribute. Expressions borrowed from another language (like “déjà vu” in English) do not need this, unless pronunciation or understanding would be affected.
3.2.2 On Input
No unexpected changes must happen when a field value changes (like auto-submit, reload, open new page).
3.3.2 Labels or Instructions
Form fields must have clear labels or instructions to avoid confusion and help complete the input correctly.
4.1.1 Parsing
This used to require HTML with proper structure and no critical markup errors (like missing tags or duplicate IDs). The requirement is removed but still helps with compatibility.
4.1.2 Name, Role, Value
Interactive elements must have a clear name (what it is), the correct role (what it does), and any current value or state, so that assistive technologies can interpret and interact with them correctly.
4.1.3 Status Messages
Status updates (like “form sent” or “5 items in cart”) must be coded using proper roles (like role="status" or role="alert"), be detectable by assistive technologies, and not require moving focus.
