ASP.NET Controls and Accessibility

By default, most ASP.NET server controls generate markup that conforms to accessibility guidelines. In some cases you must configure a control to make sure that it generates accessible markup. In a few cases, ASP.NET server controls cannot generate markup that conforms to certain accessibility guidelines.

The following sections list ASP.NET server controls and provide information about accessibility considerations that pertain to each control. If a control is not listed in this topic, it generates markup that conforms to current accessibility guidelines without any configuration requirements.

Note

Past accessibility guidelines require all functionality of a Web site to be accessible without depending on client script. If you want to avoid the use of client script in order to conform to older guidelines, see ASP.NET Web Server Controls That Use Client Script.

For more information about accessibility guidelines and how to create ASP.NET Web pages that conform to them, see Accessibility in Visual Studio and ASP.NET.

This topic contains the following sections:

  • Standard Toolbox Controls

  • Data Toolbox Controls

  • Validation Toolbox Controls

  • Navigation Toolbox Controls

  • Login Toolbox Controls

  • Web Parts Controls

Standard Toolbox Controls

Control

Accessibility considerations

AdRotator

The Target property renders as a target attribute. (See Note 1.)

For versions of ASP.NET earlier than 4, the control renders a disabled attribute when the IsEnabled property is set to false. (See Note 2.)

BulletedList

The Target property renders as a target attribute. (See Note 1.)

Calendar

The control layout is rendered using an HTML table. (See Note 3.) To render a caption for the table, set the control's Caption and CaptionAlign properties.

For versions of ASP.NET earlier than 4, the control renders a disabled attribute when the IsEnabled property is set to false. (See Note 2.)

CheckBoxList

Setting the RepeatLayout property to Table (the default value) causes the control layout to be rendered by using an HTML table. (See Note 3.)

DropDownList

The control does not support the optgroup element, which enables the list to be subdivided into sections.

For versions of ASP.NET earlier than 4, the control renders a disabled attribute when the IsEnabled property is set to false. (See Note 2.)

HyperLink

If you set the ImageUrl property to the URL of a graphic file, set the Text property to specify the alternate text for the resulting graphic. (See Note 5.)

The Target property renders as a target attribute. (See Note 1.)

For versions of ASP.NET earlier than 4, the control renders a disabled attribute when the IsEnabled property is set to false. (See Note 2.)

Image, ImageButton, ImageMap

Set the AlternateText or GenerateEmptyAlternateText property to provide a value for the alt attribute. (See Note 5.)

For versions of ASP.NET earlier than 4, the control renders a disabled attribute when the IsEnabled property is set to false. (See Note 2.)

Label

To use the control to render a label element for a text box or other control that is designed for user input, set the AssociatedControlID property to the ID of the control to associate with the label.

For versions of ASP.NET earlier than 4, the control renders a disabled attribute when the IsEnabled property is set to false. (See Note 2.)

LinkButton, Panel

For versions of ASP.NET earlier than 4, the control renders a disabled attribute when the IsEnabled property is set to false. (See Note 2.)