ARIA meter nodes must have an accessible name

The meter role in ARIA represents a scalar measurement within a known range — think of a gauge showing a value like CPU temperature, password strength, or storage capacity. When a screen reader encounters an element with role="meter", it announces the element as a meter, but without an accessible name, it cannot convey what is being measured. The user hears something like “meter” with no context, which is effectively meaningless.

This issue primarily affects users who are blind or have low vision and rely on screen readers, as well as users with mobility impairments who may navigate via assistive technologies. It relates to WCAG 2.0/2.1/2.2 Success Criterion 1.1.1: Non-text Content (Level A), which requires that all non-text content has a text alternative that serves an equivalent purpose. A meter without a name fails to provide this text alternative.

How to Fix

Ensure every element with role="meter" has a clear, descriptive accessible name using one of these methods:

1. aria-label — Add descriptive text directly to the element.
2. aria-labelledby — Reference another visible element that contains the label text. The referenced element must exist and contain non-empty text.
3. title — Use the title attribute as a fallback naming method (though aria-label or aria-labelledby are generally preferred).

The name should clearly describe what the meter is measuring so users understand its purpose in context.

Examples

Incorrect: Meter with no accessible name

The following meter has no name at all. A screen reader will announce it as a meter but cannot tell the user what it measures.

<div role="meter" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100" aria-valuenow="75"></div>

Incorrect: Empty aria-label

An empty aria-label is equivalent to having no name.

<div role="meter" aria-label="" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100" aria-valuenow="75"></div>

Incorrect: aria-labelledby referencing a nonexistent or empty element

If the referenced element doesn’t exist or has no text content, the meter still lacks an accessible name.

<div role="meter" aria-labelledby="nonexistent" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100" aria-valuenow="75"></div>

<div role="meter" aria-labelledby="empty-label" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100" aria-valuenow="75"></div>
<div id="empty-label"></div>

Correct: Using aria-label

<div role="meter" aria-label="Disk usage" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100" aria-valuenow="75"></div>

Correct: Using aria-labelledby

<span id="meter-label">Battery level</span>
<div role="meter" aria-labelledby="meter-label" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100" aria-valuenow="42"></div>

Correct: Using the title attribute

<div role="meter" title="Signal strength" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="5" aria-valuenow="3"></div>

Correct: Using the native <meter> element with a <label>

When possible, prefer the native HTML <meter> element, which has built-in semantics and can be associated with a <label>.

<label for="fuel">Fuel level</label>
<meter id="fuel" min="0" max="100" value="68">68%</meter>

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