WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.3, Sensory Characteristics, is a Level A requirement: instructions do not rely on shape, position, colour or sound alone.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Instructions do not rely on shape, position, colour or sound alone
Checked automatically: reads the HTML. Severity: medium. An instruction like "press the round button on the right" means nothing to a screen-reader user, who cannot perceive shape or position.
An approximation: Every block of text on the page (up to 300 distinct ones per scan) is read by a decisions model (TypeSafe's Jev), in any language, for whether it identifies something only by shape, size, position, orientation, colour or sound rather than also naming it. It fails at 80% or more and asks for review between 50% and 80%. Wording inside images and in text that only a script writes after load is not read.
How to fix it. Name the control in every instruction ("select Continue") and use shape, position, colour or sound only as an addition to that name.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 1.3.4 Orientation
Questions
Is WCAG 1.3.3 required by the ADA?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses, but the Justice Department's 2022 guidance points businesses to WCAG, and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which includes 1.3.3.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 1.3.3?
Mostly. BearScan checks it automatically (reads the HTML). A clean result still isn't proof every page passes, only the pages scanned.
How do I fix a WCAG 1.3.3 failure?
Name the control in every instruction ("select Continue") and use shape, position, colour or sound only as an addition to that name.