Accessibility Role Definition

Interactive iOS elements must expose the correct accessibility traits so VoiceOver announces their role (button, link, switch, header) accurately.

WCAG Reference

Maps to: WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value | Applies to: WCAG 2.0, WCAG 2.1, WCAG 2.2 Introduced in: WCAG 2.0 | Level: A | Read the official specification →

What this rule checks

The scanner verifies that interactive elements have appropriate accessibilityTraits set, such as .button, .link, .header, .adjustable, or .selected, matching their actual behavior.

Why it matters

VoiceOver uses traits to tell users what kind of element they are interacting with and how to use it. Without the correct trait, users may not know they can tap, swipe, or adjust a control.

Common failure patterns

• custom interactive views with no accessibilityTraits set (defaults to .none)
• links styled as buttons but missing .link trait
• section headers in lists without .header trait
• slider-like controls missing .adjustable trait

Remediation guidance

• set accessibilityTraits on every interactive element to match its behavior
• use .button for tappable controls, .link for navigation links, .header for section headings
• for adjustable controls (sliders, steppers), set .adjustable and implement accessibilityIncrement() and accessibilityDecrement()
• in SwiftUI, use .accessibilityAddTraits() to add the appropriate traits
• test with VoiceOver and confirm the announced trait matches the element's behavior

Related docs

• iOS Rule Repository
• Accessibility Issue Remediation Guide