INPUT type=text with aria-describedby attribute Screen reader compatibility
Last updated: April 7, 2019
Expected Result: works in a screen reader
Actual Result: causes problems in 6 screen reader / browser combinations
WCAG Technique: ARIA1
Code used for this test:
<label for='fname'>First name</label>
<input name='' type='text' id='fname' aria-describedby='int2'>
<span id='int2'>A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby. </span>
Reliability Trend
This graph shows reliability over time for this code in NVDA, JAWS and Voiceover. Other screen readers don't have enough historical data yet to plot trends.
Change History
Last updated: April 7, 2019
- NVDA with IE
Stable - OK from
NVDA 2012.3 to NVDA 2018.4
- NVDA with FF
Stable - OK from
NVDA 2012.1 to NVDA 2018.4
JAWS with IE
Better - caused problems in
JAWS 14.0.9002,
but now OK in JAWS 2018.1811.2- JAWS with FF
Better - caused problems in
JAWS 13.0.852,
but now OK in JAWS 2018.1811.2
VoiceOver OS X
Worse - was OK in
VoiceOver macOS 10.12,
but now causes problems in VoiceOver macOS 10.13- VoiceOver iOS
Stable - OK from
VoiceOver iOS 7.1 to VoiceOver iOS 11.4
- WindowEyes with IE
Better - caused problems in
WindowEyes 8.4,
but now OK in WindowEyes 9.2
- Dolphin with IE
Causes problems in
Dolphin SR 15.05
- SaToGo with IE
OK in
SaToGo 3.4.96.0
| Screen reader | Browser | Mode | Notes | What the user hears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVDA 2018.4 | FF60 | Reading | Clickable, first name, edit has auto complete, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2018.4 | FF60 | Tabbing | First name, edit, has auto complete, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2018.4 | IE11 | Reading | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2018.4 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2017.3 | FF60 | Reading | First name, edit, auto complete, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2017.3 | FF60 | Tabbing | First name, edit, auto complete, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2017.3 | IE11 | Reading | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2017.3 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2016.2 | FF48 | Reading | First name, edit, auto complete, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2016.2 | FF48 | Tabbing | First name, edit, auto complete, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2016.2 | IE11 | Reading | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2016.2 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2015.2 | FF40 | Reading | First name, edit, auto complete, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2015.2 | FF40 | Tabbing | First name, edit, auto complete, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2015.2 | IE11 | Reading | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2015.2 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2014.1 | FF28 | Reading | First name, edit, auto complete. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2014.1 | FF28 | Tabbing | First name, edit, auto complete. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2014.1 | IE11 | Reading | First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2014.1 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2012.1 | FF28 | Reading | First name, edit, auto complete. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2012.1 | FF28 | Tabbing | First name, edit, auto complete. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, blank | |
| NVDA 2012.3 | IE11 | Reading | First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| NVDA 2012.3 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | FF60 | Reading | First name. First name. Blank edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | FF60 | Tabbing | Tab, first name, edit, use JAWS key plus ALT plus R to read descriptive text, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | IE11 | Reading | First name. Edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | IE11 | Tabbing | Tab, first name, edit, use JAWS key plus ALT plus R to read descriptive text, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 18.0.5038 | FF52 | Reading | First name. Blank edit, first name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 18.0.5038 | FF52 | Tabbing | Tab, first name, edit, use JAWS key plus ALT plus R to read descriptive text, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 18.0.5038 | IE11 | Reading | First name. Edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 18.0.5038 | IE11 | Tabbing | Tab, first name, edit, use JAWS key plus ALT plus R to read descriptive text, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 17.0.2619 | FF48 | Reading | First name. Blank edit, first name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 17.0.2619 | FF48 | Tabbing | Tab, first name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 17.0.2619 | IE11 | Reading | First name. Edit, first name edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 17.0.2619 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 16.0.4350 | FF40 | Reading | First name, blank edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 16.0.4350 | FF40 | Tabbing | Tab, first name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 16.0.4350 | IE11 | Reading | First name. Edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 16.0.4350 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 15.0.9023 | FF29 | Reading | First name, edit blank. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 15.0.9023 | FF29 | Tabbing | First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 15.0.9023 | IE11 | Reading | First name. Blank. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 15.0.9023 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, type in text | |
| JAWS 14.0.9002 | FF29 | Reading | First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 14.0.9002 | FF29 | Tabbing | First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 14.0.9002 | IE11 | Reading | First name. Blank. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby. | |
| JAWS 14.0.9002 | IE11 | Tabbing | description read twice | First name, edit, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby |
| JAWS 13.0.852 | FF28 | Reading | "edit" role sometimes not read out | First name. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby |
| JAWS 13.0.852 | FF28 | Tabbing | First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| JAWS 13.0.852 | IE11 | Reading | "edit" role sometimes not read out | First name. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby |
| JAWS 13.0.852 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| WindowEyes 9.2 | IE11 | Reading | First name. First name, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, edit. | |
| WindowEyes 9.2 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, edit | |
| WindowEyes 8.4 | IE11 | Reading | First name, first name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| WindowEyes 8.4 | IE11 | Tabbing | ARIA-DESCRIBEDBY not read when tabbing | First name, edit box |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.13 | Safari 12.1 | Reading | First name. First name, edit text, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.13 | Safari 12.1 | Tabbing | ARIA-DESCRIBEDBY not read when tabbing | First name, edit tex |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.12 | Safari 10.1.2 | Reading | First name. First name, edit text, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.12 | Safari 10.1.2 | Tabbing | First name, edit text, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.11 | Safari 9.1.2 | Reading | First name. First name, edit text, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.11 | Safari 9.1.2 | Tabbing | First name, edit text, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.10 | Safari 8.0.6 | Reading | First name. First name, edit text ... The help tag is: A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.10 | Safari 8.0.6 | Tabbing | First name, edit text ... The help tag is: A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.9 | Safari 7.0.3 | Reading | First name, edit text ... The help tag is: A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.9 | Safari 7.0.3 | Tabbing | First name, edit text ... The help tag is: A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver iOS 11.4 | Safari iOS 11.4 | Touch | First name, first name, text field, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| VoiceOver iOS 10.3 | Safari iOS 10.3 | Touch | First name, text field, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, double tap to edit | |
| VoiceOver iOS 9.1 | Safari iOS 9.1 | Touch | First name, text field, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, double tap to edit | |
| VoiceOver iOS 8.4 | Safari iOS 8.4 | Touch | First name, text field, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby, double tap to edit | |
| VoiceOver iOS 7.1 | Safari iOS 7.1 | Touch | First name, text field, a bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| Dolphin SR 15.05 | IE11 | Reading | First name. First name, edit. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| Dolphin SR 15.05 | IE11 | Tabbing | ARIA-DESCRIBEDBY not read when tabbing | Forms mode, first name, blank line, edit. |
| SaToGo 3.4.96.0 | IE11 | Reading | First name, editable text. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby | |
| SaToGo 3.4.96.0 | IE11 | Tabbing | First name, editable text, blank. A bit of instructions for this field linked with aria describedby |
SortSite rules: AccHtmlControlLabelMissing
Test notes
All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.
Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:
- Reading Content read using the «read next» command in a screen reader
- Tabbing Content read using the «tab» key in a screen reader
- Heading Content read using the «next heading» key in a screen reader
- Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device
In the «What the user hears» column:
- Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
- Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the «read next» or «tab» or «next heading» command is pressed again
- Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
- (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear