# Failure of Success Criterion 4.1.2 due to implementing custom controls that do not use an accessibility API for the technology, or do so incompletely

ID: F15

Technology: failures

Type: Failure

## When to Use

Applies to all technologies that support an accessibility API.

## Description

When standard controls from accessible technologies are used, they usually are programmed in a way that uses and supports the accessibility API. However, when custom controls are created, it is up to the control's author to ensure that the control is correctly exposed to users via the platform's accessibility API. If this is not done, then assistive technologies will not be able to understand what the control is or how to operate it or may not even know of its existence.

For technologies that support it, WAI-ARIA can be used to expose a custom control's role, name, value, states, and properties via the accessibility API for the technology.

Along with ensuring custom controls are properly exposed to users via the platform's accessibility API, there are many other considerations that need to be made so the control is accessible to as many people as possible. Keyboard functionality, target size, and color contrast requirements are only a few of the additional considerations that need to be accounted for, all of which go beyond what 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value, and this technique cover.

## Examples

A music player is designed with custom controls that look like musical notes that are stretched for volume, tone etc. The programmer does not make the new control support the Accessibility API. As a result - the controls cannot be identified or controlled from AT.

## Tests

### Procedure

1. Using the accessibility checker for the technology (or if that is not available, inspect the code using a browser's developer tools, or test with an assistive technology), check the controls to see if they support the accessibility API.

### Expected Results

- If check #1 is false, then this failure condition applies and the content fails this success criterion.

## Related Techniques

## Resources

- Accessibility Insights for Windows
- Active Accessibility Checker (AccExplorer)
- Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA)
- WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices Guide
- ARIA in HTML