Identify Purpose
In content implemented using markup languages, the purpose of UI components, icons, and regions can be programmatically determined — typically via ARIA landmarks plus emerging-spec metadata.
What it requires
WCAG 2.1 SC 1.3.6 (AAA) extends 1.3.5 (Identify Input Purpose, AA) beyond form fields to UI components and regions generally. The intent is to allow user agents and AT to substitute icons or terminology that suits the user — a cognitive-disability user might prefer text labels in place of icons; a screen-reader user might prefer landmark navigation.
The implementation guidance is still emerging — the criterion currently maps to ARIA landmark roles, microdata, and `autocomplete` attributes. Most production codebases pass this with conservative ARIA usage.
Common Shopify failure
Storefront with no semantic landmarks (`<main>`, `<nav>`, `<aside>`, `<footer>`) and no equivalent role attributes.
How to fix it
AccessComply ensures every page has a single `<main>` landmark, a `<nav>` landmark for primary nav, and `<footer>` for site footer.
Primary source: W3C — WCAG 2.1 Understanding 1.3.6