WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: 508 compliant checkbox form controls

for

From: Jared Smith
Date: Aug 1, 2011 3:51PM


On Mon, Aug 1, 2011 at 2:55 PM, < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

>  The last bit, "including all directions and cues" is associated with the
> example you presented.  However, it seems it would be difficult to claim
> the inaccessibility of a form based on this case alone as a direct
> violation of Section 508.  Weigh in from others?

It is my opinion that it would typically be a violation of Section 508
for a grouping of checkboxes or radio buttons to not have its higher
level description/question in a fieldset legend. In other words, when
a screen reader is navigating through the form, if the form controls
do not make sense without the description/question being read, this is
certainly problematic and likely a violation of 508 (n). This
important "direction or cue" should be associated to the controls via
<fieldset> and <legend>. Suggesting otherwise would be no different
than saying that form control label text doesn't need to be associated
via the <label> element because it happens to be in close proximity to
its related form control.

Jared