act-rules · Jym77 · Nov 4, 2019 · Oct 21, 2019 · Oct 21, 2019 · Oct 21, 2019
diff --git a/_rules/form-control-accessible-name-e086e5.md b/_rules/form-control-accessible-name-e086e5.md
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ This rule applies to any element that is [included in the accessibility tree](#i
 
 ## Expectation
 
-Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not only [whitespace][].
+Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not empty (`""`).
 
 ## Assumptions
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ The explicit label is not supported on `div` elements.
 
 #### Failed Example 7
 
-The [accessible name][] is only [whitespace][].
+The [accessible name][] is empty.
 
 ```html
 <label> <input /></label>

diff --git a/_rules/iframe-accessible-name-cae760.md b/_rules/iframe-accessible-name-cae760.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ The rule applies to `iframe` elements that are [included in the accessibility tr
 
 ## Expectation
 
-Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not only [whitespace][].
+Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not empty (`""`).
 
 ## Assumptions
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ Usage of `aria-labelledby` attribute to describe the `iframe` content.
 
 #### Passed Example 4
 
-[Accessible name][] is not only [whitespace][].
+[Accessible name][] is not empty.
 
 ```html
 <iframe title=":-)" src="/test-assets/SC4-1-2-frame-doc.html"> </iframe>
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ Usage of `alt` attribute to describe content is not valid.
 
 #### Failed Example 7
 
-[Accessible name][] is only [whitespace][].
+[Accessible name][] is empty.
 
 ```html
 <iframe title=" " src="/test-assets/SC4-1-2-frame-doc.html"> </iframe>

diff --git a/_rules/image-accessible-name-23a2a8.md b/_rules/image-accessible-name-23a2a8.md
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ The rule applies to HTML `img` elements or any HTML element with the [semantic r
 
 ## Expectation
 
-Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not only [whitespace][], or is marked as [decorative][].
+Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not empty (`""`), or is marked as [decorative][].
 
-**NOTE**: An `img` element can be marked as [decorative][], by using either `role="presentation"`, `role="none"` or an empty alt attribute, `alt=""`.
+**NOTE**: An `img` element can be marked as [decorative][], by using either `role="presentation"`, `role="none"` or an empty `alt` attribute, (`alt=""` or `alt` with no value).
 
 ## Assumptions
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ The HTML `img` element is marked as [decorative][] through `role="none"`.
 
 #### Passed Example 8
 
-The HTML `img` element has an [accessible name][] that does not only consist of [whitespace][].
+The HTML `img` element has an [accessible name][] that is not empty.
 
 ```html
 <img alt=":-)" />
@@ -126,34 +126,34 @@ The HTML `img` element has an [accessible name][] that does not only consist of
 
 #### Failed Example 1
 
-The HTML `img` element is not marked as [decorative][] and does not have an [accessible name][].
+The HTML `img` element is not marked as [decorative][] and has an empty [accessible name][].
 
 ```html
 <img />
 ```
 
 #### Failed Example 2
 
-The element with role of `img` does not have an [accessible name][].
+The element with role of `img` has an empty [accessible name][].
 
 ```html
 <div role="img"></div>
 ```
 
 #### Failed Example 3
 
-The `img` element inside a `div` positioned off screen has no [accessible name][] and is not marked as [decorative][].
+The `img` element inside a `div` positioned off screen has an empty [accessible name][] and is not marked as [decorative][].
 
 ```html
 <div style="margin-left:-9999px;"><img /></div>
 ```
 
 #### Failed Example 4
 
-The HTML `img` element has an [accessible name][] that only consist of [whitespace][].
+The HTML `img` element has an empty [accessible name][].
 
 ```html
-<img aria-label=" " />
+<img alt=" " />
 ```
 
 ### Inapplicable

diff --git a/_rules/image-button-accessible-name-59796f.md b/_rules/image-button-accessible-name-59796f.md
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ The rule applies to any HTML `input` element with a `type` attribute in the `Ima
 
 ## Expectation
 
-Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not only [whitespace][].
+Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not empty (`""`).
 
 ## Assumptions
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ Image button element with [accessible name][] through `aria-labelledby`
 
 #### Passed Example 5
 
-[accessible name][] is not only [whitespace][].
+[accessible name][] is not empty.
 
 ```html
 <input type="image" name="submit" src="button.gif" alt=":-)" />
@@ -106,31 +106,31 @@ Image button element with [accessible name][] through `alt` attribute
 
 #### Failed Example 1
 
-Image button element with no attributes to give [accessible name][]
+Image button element with empty [accessible name][].
 
 ```html
 <input type="image" name="submit" src="button.gif" />
 ```
 
 #### Failed Example 2
 
-Image button element with empty `alt` attribute
+Image button element with empty [accessible name][].
 
 ```html
 <input type="image" name="submit" src="button.gif" alt="" />
 ```
 
 #### Failed Example 3
 
-Image button with aria-labelledby that does not reference an id that exists in the same document
+Image button with empty [accessible name][] because the `aria-labelledby` attribute does not reference an id that exists in the same document.
 
 ```html
 <input type="image" name="submit" src="button.gif" aria-labelledby="id1" />
 ```
 
 #### Failed Example 4
 
-[accessible name][] is only [whitespace][].
+[accessible name][] is empty.
 
 ```html
 <input type="image" name="submit" src="button.gif" alt=" " />

diff --git a/_rules/link-accessible-name-c487ae.md b/_rules/link-accessible-name-c487ae.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ The rule applies to any HTML element with the [semantic role](#semantic-role) of
 
 ## Expectation
 
-Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not only [whitespace][].
+Each target element has an [accessible name][] that is not empty (`""`).
 
 ## Assumptions
 
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ When `link` is off screen.
 
 #### Passed Example 11
 
-`a` element where [accessible name][] does not only consist of [whitespace][].
+`a` element where [accessible name][] is not empty.
 
 ```html
 <a href="http://www.w3.org/WAI">:-)</a>
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ When `link` is off screen.
 
 #### Failed Example 1
 
-Image link without [accessible name][].
+Image link with empty [accessible name][].
 
 ```html
 <a href="http://www.w3.org/WAI"><img src="#"/></a>
@@ -227,15 +227,15 @@ Link with image that has empty `aria-labelledby`.
 
 #### Failed Example 8
 
-Link is completely empty, but still shows up in focus order, so it should have an [accessible name][].
+Link is completely empty, but still shows up in focus order, so it should have an non-empty [accessible name][].
 
 ```html
 <a href="http://www.w3.org/WAI"></a>
 ```
 
 #### Failed Example 9
 
-`area` element with `href` attribute does not have [accessible name][].
+`area` element with `href` attribute has an empty [accessible name][].
 
 ```html
 <img src="planets.gif" width="145" height="126" alt="Planets" usemap="#planetmap" />
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ Link is completely empty, but still shows up in focus order, so it should have a
 
 #### Failed Example 10
 
-`a` element where [accessible name][] through content only consist of [whitespace][].
+`a` element where [accessible name][] through content is empty.
 
 ```html
 <a href="http://www.w3.org/WAI"> </a>

diff --git a/pages/glossary/accessible-name.md b/pages/glossary/accessible-name.md
@@ -8,3 +8,13 @@ The programmatically determined name of a user interface element that is [includ
 The accessible name is calculated using the [accessible name and description computation](https://www.w3.org/TR/accname).
 
 For native markup languages, such as HTML and SVG, additional information on how to calculate the accessible name can be found in [HTML Accessibility API Mappings 1.0, Accessible Name and Description Computation (working draft)](https://www.w3.org/TR/html-aam/#accessible-name-and-description-computation) and [SVG Accessibility API Mappings, Name and Description (working draft)](https://www.w3.org/TR/svg-aam/#mapping_additional).
+
+**Note**: As per the [accessible name and description computation](https://www.w3.org/TR/accname), each element always has an accessible name. When no accessible name is provided, the element will nonetheless be assigned an empty (`""`) one.
+
+**Note**: As per the [accessible name and description computation](https://www.w3.org/TR/accname), accessible names are [flat string](https://www.w3.org/TR/accname-1.1/#terminology) trimmed of leading and trailing whitespace. Notably, it is not possible for a non-empty accessible name to be composed only of whitespace since these must be trimmed.
+
+#### Accessibility Support
+
+- Because the [accessible name and description computation](https://www.w3.org/TR/accname) is not clear about which whitespace are considered, browsers behave differently when trimming and flattening the accessible name. For example, some browsers completely trim non-breaking spaces while some keep them in the accessible name.
+- There exists a popular browser which does not perform the same trimming and flattening depending whether the accessible name comes from content, an `aria-label` attribute, or an `alt` attribute.
+- There exists a popular browser which assign no accessible name (`null`) when none is provided, instead of assigned an empty accessible name (`""`).