Accessible name
The accessible name is the text a screen reader announces for an interactive element. It is computed from a defined cascade: `aria-labelledby` → `aria-label` → native label (`<label>`, `alt`, `<title>`) → text content.
Detailed explanation
WCAG 2.1 SC 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value) at Level A requires user-interface components to expose a programmatically determinable name and role, with applicable states and values. Link-purpose requirements are addressed separately under SC 2.4.4 and, at Level AAA, SC 2.4.9; repeated generic text may require surrounding context to be understandable.
WCAG 2.1 SC 2.5.3 (Label in Name) at Level A additionally requires that the visible label text appear at the start of the accessible name — so voice-control users can say the visible text and have the right control activate.
How this applies to Shopify stores
Icon-only controls, social links, and image-only links are common accessible-name review points in Shopify themes. AccessComply can report missing-name findings and present eligible safely source-mapped candidates, but a merchant or evaluator must confirm the intended label and state.
What merchants should check next
Treat this term as a practical audit prompt, not just a definition. Check the storefront pages where the concept shows up in real customer journeys: product discovery, add-to-cart, cart drawer, checkout handoff, account login, and support contact flows. If the issue affects code, verify the rendered HTML and computed browser output after the theme change. If it affects copy or media, keep the merchant-facing wording accurate and easy to maintain.
Primary source: w3.org