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Questions on error handling

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From: Sonja Weckenmann
Date: Oct 4, 2017 8:25AM

Hi everyone,

I have some questions on error handling.

https://www.paypal.com/welcome/signup/#/email_password

Error identification is implemented using an icon.
When focus is on the input element, an error message is shown.

My questions:

1. Is it sufficient to use only an icon for error identification (3.3.1
says: "...the error is described to the user in text." that means, there
must be text - also for sighted users?)?

2. Is it sufficient - in this case - to use only an icon because there
is a error message when focussing the input?

3. The error massage cannot be programmatically determined (no
implementing of aria-labelledby oder aria-describedby) - is it a Failure
of "1.3.1 Info and Relationships" or "3.3.1 Error Identification" (when
it cannot be programmatically determined it cannot be identified) or
"3.3.3 Error Suggestion"?

4. If the error message is implemented using aria-labelledby, the error
would still be hard to identify because focus is not set to the field.
Is this a problem of "2.4.3 Focus order" or "3.3.1 Error Identification".

Any answers would be appreciated, thanks

sonja