Success criterion 1.3.3
Sensory Characteristics
Instructions provided for understanding and operating content do not rely solely on sensory characteristics of components such as shape, size, visual location, orientation, or sound.
- Level A
- Principle 1: Perceivable
- Guideline 1.3: Adaptable
In a user’s words
“So I should 'Click the round, red button.' Great, but what if I can't see 'round' or 'red'?”
What each role can do
- Product manager
- Include multiple identifiers for actionable items beyond just sensory characteristics.
- Designer
- Supplement sensory cues with text or auditory descriptions.
- Developer
- Implement textual labels alongside sensory characteristics in instructions.
- Tester
- Test to make sure instructions are clear even when visual or auditory cues are absent.
Once it is fixed
“Thanks for making it crystal clear! No more guessing games for me!”
Share this with your team
The quotes are written to illustrate the criterion. They are not testimonials from real people. For the official wording, find 1.3.3 in the W3C quick reference for WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
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