Buttons must have discernible text

Rule ID: button-name

Ruleset: axe-core 3.5

User Impact: Critical

Guidelines: WCAG 2.1 (A), WCAG 2.0 (A), Section 508

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Compliance Data & Impact

User Impact

Disabilities Affected

Blind
Deafblind

Standard(s)

WCAG 2.1 (A)
WCAG 2.0 (A)
Section 508

WCAG Success Criteria [WCAG 2.1 (A)]

4.1.2: MUST: Name, Role, Value

WCAG Success Criteria [WCAG 2.0 (A)]

4.1.2: MUST: Name, Role, Value

Section 508 Guidelines

1194.22: MUST: Web based intranet and Internet Information & Applications
1194.22 (a): MUST: A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content)

How to Fix the Problem

Correct markup solutions

The button-name rule has five markup patterns that pass test criteria:

<button id="text">Name</button>

<button id="al" aria-label="Name"></button>

<button id="alb" aria-labelledby="labeldiv"></button>
<div id="labeldiv">Button label</div>

<button id="combo" aria-label="Aria Name">Name</button>

<button id="buttonTitle" title="Title"></button>

Ensure that each button element and elements with role="button" have one of the following characteristics:
- Inner text that is discernible to screen reader users.
- Non-empty aria-label attribute.
- aria-labelledby pointing to element with text which is discernible to screen reader users.
- role="presentation" or role="none" (ARIA 1.1) and is not in tab order (tabindex="-1").

Incorrect markup solutions

The button-name rule has six markup patterns that fail testing criteria:

<button id="empty"></button>

<button id="val" value="Button Name"></button>

<button id="alempty" aria-label=""></button>

<button id="albmissing" aria-labelledby="nonexistent"></button>

<button id="albempty" aria-labelledby="emptydiv"></button>
<div id="emptydiv"></div>

<button id="buttonvalue" value="foo" tabindex="-1"></button>

Why it Matters

Screen reader users are not able to discern the purpose of elements with role="link", role="button", or role="menuitem" that do not have an accessible name.

Rule Description

Buttons must have discernible text that clearly describes the destination, purpose, function, or action for screen reader users.

The input-button-name rule separates functionality from the button-name rule to ensure that input buttons have discernible text; advise relevant to input button names was incorrect for button elements.

The Algorithm (in simple terms)

Checks all buttons to ensure that they have a discernable, accessible name.

Resources

Deque University Course Pages (subscription required)

Contribute to axe-core on GitHub

Refer to the complete list of axe 3.5 rules.

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