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Re: WCAG SC1.3.5 (Identify Input Purpose) and UK addresses

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From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Sep 2, 2023 2:58PM

The spirit of 1.3.5 is that user software can autofill the address inputs.
If there is no clear and user agent supported HTML autocomplete
value/set of values for a UK address, i.e. if the user's software
either doesn't understand the value or it's applied inconsistently so
software may get half the fields wrong, then there's limited value in
trying to implement it at this time.
If the user extension either doesn't do anything or, worse yet, fills
in the form wrong, we haven't done the user any favors.

Your best bet would be to test out different values of autocomplete
with things like Google or other popular extension to see if you can
find a set of values that work consistently across browsers.

I'm guessing the requirement is meant to encourage or drive support
for these types of tools. While I like that thought, the biggest
drawback is that it doesn't go well with the unforgiving nature of
WCAG conformance.

On 9/2/23, Steve Green < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Can anyone help me understand how to apply WCAG SC1.3.5 (Identify Input
> Purpose) to UK addresses?
>
> We are possibly unusual insofar as our administrative geography is entirely
> different from that of our postal system.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_geography_of_the_United_Kingdom
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_post_towns_in_the_United_Kingdom
>
> In the description of the "autocomplete" values, WCAG says address-level1 is
> the broadest administrative level in the address, and that in the UK it is
> the post town. However, many people never use their post town in their
> address, and may not even know what it is. Historically, post towns were
> where the delivery centres were, and may be many miles from where you live.
>
> If we follow WCAG and use address-level1 for the post town, which
> "autocomplete" value do we use for the county? We can't use address-level2
> because that's a lower level. And the only higher level is country. And what
> value do we use for the actual town?
>
> Or should we ignore WCAG and use address-level1 for the county,
> address-level2 for the town and address-level3 for the district, which is
> what seems to be the sensible approach?
>
> The whole thing is so ambiguous that different designers will have
> undoubtedly come to different decisions, undermining the usefulness of the
> success criterion. The whole problem stems from WCAG saying that
> address-level1 is the UK post town. If that could be removed or changed to
> say it's the county, everything would be resolved.
>
> Steve Green
> Managing Director
> Test Partners Ltd
> > > > >


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