What this criterion requires
The purpose of interface components, icons and regions can be programmatically determined, enabling user agents to personalize the interface (for example replacing icons with familiar symbols).
Who it helps
People with cognitive disabilities using personalization tools.
Example: fails vs passes
An icon-only toolbar whose buttons expose nothing but class names.
Toolbar buttons with programmatic purposes (ARIA landmarks and named controls) that personalization tools can remap to familiar symbols.
AAA: machine-readable purpose enables user-side personalization.
How to meet and fix it
- Use ARIA landmarks consistently
- Adopt semantics (or personalization attributes) that identify common controls and regions
Common failures auditors find
- Icon-only interfaces with no programmatic purpose beyond a class name
Automated scanning catches a share of these instantly - run a free check - and a manual audit covers the judgement calls a tool cannot make.
Sources
- W3C, Understanding 1.3.6: Identify Purpose - w3.org/WAI
- W3C, How to Meet 1.3.6 (quick reference) - w3.org/WAI/quickref
Last updated . Reviewed by the EqualWeb accessibility team.
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