Resource guide
1.3.6 Identify Purpose
The purpose of user interface components, icons, and regions should be identifiable in code so they can be personalised by the user.
By Calling All Minds·Last updated April 2026
Success criterion
Conformance level
Enhanced accessibility — beyond the legal minimum.
What it means
At Level AAA, the goal is to allow users to personalise their experience. When the purpose of each component is clear in the code, tools can replace standard icons with symbols that a particular user recognises, or highlight specific types of content.
This goes beyond 1.3.5 (which covers form fields) to include all interface components: icons, buttons, links, navigation landmarks, and content regions.
In practice
Use semantic HTML landmarks: header, nav, main, aside, footer. Use ARIA landmark roles where HTML landmarks are not available.
Use ARIA labels to identify the purpose of icons and regions that are not self-describing.
Support user stylesheets and browser extensions that allow users to personalise icon sets and interface elements.
Common failures
- Icon buttons with no
aria-labeldescribing their purpose - Multiple navigation regions with no labels distinguishing them from each other
- Content regions with no semantic markup or ARIA roles
AXS Audit
AXS Audit checks your site against 1.3.6 and flags issues your team can act on straight away. It covers criteria that automated scanners often miss.