Sensory Characteristics
Instructions must not depend solely on sensory characteristics — shape, color, size, location, orientation, or sound.
What it requires
WCAG 2.0 SC 1.3.3 forbids instructions like "Click the green button" or "See the navigation on the right" because users with vision or color-perception differences cannot rely on those cues alone. Instructions must include text labels that work without the sensory characteristic.
The fix is additive: keep the visual cue if it helps sighted users, but pair it with a text label that works without it. "Click the green ‘Subscribe’ button" works for everyone; "click the green button" does not.
Common Shopify failure
Newsletter signup that says "Press the orange button to subscribe". Checkout flow with "Use the dropdown on the right to choose your country".
How to fix it
AccessComply flags directional/color-based language in microcopy and recommends additive rewrites that pair the sensory cue with the canonical name of the target element.
Primary source: W3C — WCAG 2.0 Understanding 1.3.3