Skip to main content

The WCAG Primer is intended for use by the UK cross government accessibility community.

1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (A)

Understanding 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (A)

Instructions must not depend on sensory characteristics like shape, size, colour, or location. This ensures that instructions can be understood by users who are unable to see or recognise information communicated using sensory characteristics.

Requirements / What to do?

  • Do not use shape, size, colour, or location to communicate instructions.

Common mistakes

  • An instruction tells users to “activate the green button”;
  • An instruction tells users to “use the menu on the left of the page”;
  • An instruction tells users they can “find more information in the square box”;
  • An instruction tells users to “follow the biggest link in the tag cloud”.