WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Is use of <label> and title redundant?

for

From: Sailesh Panchang
Date: Nov 12, 2012 1:21PM

Patrick,
Screen magnification s/w like Zoomtext expose / speak off-screen text labels.
Simply using the OS' / browser's features to magnify will not expose
off-screen labels.
Off-screen technique should be used only where necessary;
Inappropriate / over usage results in duplication and may not be
available to magnification users in some situations.
Sailesh


On 11/10/12, Patrick Dunphy < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> I practice that there are usually only 2 instances where I consider
> acceptable use of title attributes. First being for Iframe usage & the
> second would be as you mentioned - form controls such as a site's global
> search.
>
> Can you please clarify something you've said? How is an off screen label
> available for magnification users? I wouldn't have thought that to be the
> case. Also curious to hear your thoughts about this being applicable to
> other off screen text usages - making text links understood out of context &
> indicating position within a section nav.
>
> Thanks.
> -PD
>
>
> On 2012-11-10, at 7:53 PM, Sailesh Panchang < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> wrote:
>
>> As per WCAG2 techniques, title on form controls should be used when
>> visible label is not present ... i.e. when purpose of form control is
>> obvious generally to sighted users / as per UI design.
>> (If purpose is not obvious visually, then the fix is to incorporate a
>> visual text label for the benefit of all users).
>>
>> Using title in these situations mainly to convey purpose of control to
>> non-sighted users is well supported by browsers and AT, both recent
>> and legacy ones.
>> Title is also available via mouseover to some sighted users who might
>> need them.
>> I do not recommend using off-screen label: it is more work and code
>> and not available to anyone except screen reader / magnification users
>> unless CSS is turned off.
>> Sailesh Panchang
>> Deque Systems
>>
>>
>> On 11/9/12, Michael R. Burks < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>> I would like to add that we should code to the standards, not to a
>>> specific
>>> type of Assistive Technology.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>> Mike Burks
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>>> [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Michael R.
>>> Burks
>>> Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 7:51 PM
>>> To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
>>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Is use of <label> and title redundant?
>>>
>>> It has not been my experience that title attributes work well with
>>> Dragon
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>> Mike Burks
>>> 919-882-1884 - Fax
>>> 919-349-6661 - Office
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>>> [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Ryan E.
>>> Benson
>>> Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 6:59 PM
>>> To: <EMAIL REMOVED> ; WebAIM Discussion List
>>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Is use of <label> and title redundant?
>>>
>>> Léonie Watson wrote:
>>>> Most screen readers don't acknowledge the title attribute by default,
>>>> although they can be configured to do so. VoiceOver is the exception I
>>>> think.
>>> ZoomText (v9.5 at least) will read the title attribute instead of the
>>> label.
>>> The same goes with links with a title attribute, it reads the title
>>> versus
>>> linking words.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ryan E. Benson
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 2:32 PM, Léonie Watson < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>>> Angela French wrote:
>>>> " Is the use of a <label> tag to identify association with a text
>>>> field and the simultaneous use of the title attribute in the <input>
>>>> tag redundant, such that it should be avoided? In other words, would
>>>> a screen reader say the word twice?"
>>>>
>>>> Most screen readers don't acknowledge the title attribute by default,
>>>> although they can be configured to do so. VoiceOver is the exception I
>>>> think.
>>>>
>>>> Assuming the label is visible, it's worth asking what value the title
>>>> attribute brings in this case?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Léonie.
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>>>> [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Angela
>>>> French
>>>> Sent: 09 November 2012 18:22
>>>> To: 'WebAim Forum ( <EMAIL REMOVED> )'
>>>> Subject: [WebAIM] Is use of <label> and title redundant?
>>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>> Is the use of a <label> tag to identify association with a text field
>>>> and the simultaneous use of the title attribute in the <input> tag
>>>> redundant, such that it should be avoided? In other words, would a
>>>> screen reader say the word twice?
>>>>
>>>> Example:
>>>>
>>>> <label for="searchfield" class="offscreen"> Search</label><input
>>>> id="searchfield" type="text" title="Search">
>>>>
>>>> Thank you,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Angela French
>>>> Internet Specialist
>>>> State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
>>>> 360-704-4316
>>>> <EMAIL REMOVED>
>>>> http://www.checkoutacollege.com/
>>>>
>>>> >>>> >>>> list messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> >>>> >>>> list messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>
>>> >>> >>> messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>
>>>
>>> >>> >>> messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>
>>>
>>> >>> >>> >>>
>> >> >> >