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Do native HTML date pickers automatically fail SC 1.4.4 (Resize Text)?

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From: Steve Green
Date: May 23, 2024 6:45AM

The size of the native HTML date picker <input type="date"> does not change when the zoom level is changed in Firefox, and I cannot find any way to change it.

The Understanding page for SC 1.4.4 refers to "text-based controls" without defining what this means. Failure technique F80 refers to text-based controls as including "input boxes (text and textarea) as well as buttons" but does not mention comboboxes and date pickers, so it's possible that 1.4.4 doesn't apply to the native HTML date picker even though it presumably would apply to an author-created one.

Unlike some other success criteria, there is no mention of an exemption for content whose appearance is controlled by the user agent.

Until now, we have regarded the native HTML date picker as the least worst option, but does its behaviour in Firefox mean we shouldn't use it? FWIW, I generally prefer text inputs, but let's assume a date picker is essential for some reason and that it's just a matter of which one to use.

Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd