3.3.1 Error Identification

Level A

If an input error is automatically detected, the item that is in error is identified and the error is described to the user in text.

Who This Helps

• Providing information about input errors in text allows users who are blind or colourblind to perceive the fact that an error occurred.
• This Success Criterion may help people with cognitive, language, and learning disabilities who have difficulty understanding the meaning represented by icons and other visual cues.

Examples

• Providing multiple cues

  The user fails to fill in two fields on the form. In addition to describing the error and providing a unique character to make it easy to search for the fields, the fields are highlighted in yellow to make it easier to visually search for them as well.

• Identifying errors in a form submission

  An airline Web site offers a special promotion on discounted flights. The user is asked to complete a simple form that asks for personal information such as name, address, phone number, seating preference and e-mail address. If any of the fields of the form are either not completed or completed incorrectly, an alert is displayed notifying the user which field or fields were missing or incorrect.