At Liberogic, we are continually working to improve web accessibility. We have now published an article titled "English, Katakana, and Accessibility" on Zenn, a technical knowledge-sharing platform. The article covers voice control for English-style labels and WCAG 2.5.3 "Label in Name."
In this post, we share what led us to write the article and what we discovered along the way.
It started with "PAGE TOP," a label we often see on Japanese websites.
Japanese websites contain many labels that use English letters decoratively, such as "PAGE TOP" and "News." Among Japanese speakers, these English labels are understood without any issue.
However, when these labels are used in voice control, something curious happens. If the accessible name is set to "PAGE TOP" to meet WCAG 2.5.3, the control stops responding when a Japanese speaker says "ページトップ" (page top).
This mismatch, where meeting the criterion does not match actual voice operability, intrigued us. We tested the behavior using Mac Voice Control and organized the reasons and possible solutions.
Meeting the criteria and being usable are not the same
What we wanted to convey through this article is that meeting a success criterion and enabling users to actually operate something are not necessarily the same.
The article examines how the characteristics of Japanese writing conventions interact with accessibility criteria, where they align, and where they conflict. By looking closely at a single success criterion, it explores the "mismatch" that emerged.
You can read the article here:
English, Katakana, and Accessibility (Zenn)
Note: The explanations and judgments in this article may include my own interpretations based on years of hands-on experience. Also, the voice control behavior was verified on macOS and may differ in other environments. We kindly recommend referring to the WCAG guidelines alongside this article.
Closing Thoughts
We believe web accessibility is not about simply filling in a checklist, but about continually asking whether something truly works for people in practice.
Exploring the small points of friction that exist between standards and real-world practice, as in this case, should lead to a deeper understanding of accessibility.
At Liberogic, we will continue to share our technical insights and put them into practice, with the goal of creating websites and services that everyone can use easily. If you have any questions about accessibility, please feel free to contact us.
Starting out in DTP and moving into the web, he now handles markup, frontend, direction, and accessibility alike. A "master of all trades" who has been versatile since Liberogic's early days and is now a walking encyclopedia of the company. Lately he has been hooked on exploring efficiency through prompts, asking, "Can't we rely more on AI for accessibility work?" Both his skills and his thinking are still evolving.
Ayumu Futamata
IAAP Certified Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) / Markup Engineer / Frontend Engineer / Web Director