Which statement describes the role of descriptive labels in accessibility?

• A. Descriptive labels help users understand the input's purpose.
• B. Descriptive labels are unnecessary if there is placeholder text.
• C. Descriptive labels must be hidden from assistive technology.
• D. Descriptive labels replace the need for programmatic associations.

Answer: (A)

Descriptive labels give the control a clear description of its purpose, and screen readers announce that label when the control receives focus. This makes it obvious what information should be entered, even for users who rely on assistive technologies. Placeholder text isn’t a reliable substitute because many screen readers don’t consistently read placeholders, they can be confusing as the value changes, and they disappear once typing begins, leaving no persistent guidance. For labels to be effective, they must be programmatically linked to the input so the accessibility API can expose the label as the control’s name. Descriptive labels thus directly improve understanding and usability for all users.