Tips to Enhance Form Accessibility: 10 Strategies

Creating accessible web forms is crucial for ensuring that all users, including those with disabilities, can easily interact with your website. Accessible forms not only improve user experience but also help you meet legal requirements and enhance your website's SEO.

By making your forms accessible, you demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and show that you value all of your users. This can lead to increased user satisfaction and loyalty.

Here are ten practical tips to make your forms more accessible, which can help you create a more inclusive and user-friendly website.

What Are Website Forms and Why You Should Make Them Accessible?

Website forms are interactive elements that allow users to input and submit data for various purposes, such as signing up for newsletters, making purchases, providing feedback, or contacting support. They typically consist of fields like text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, and submit buttons, which collect information from the user.

Making website forms accessible is essential because it ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can easily navigate and complete them.

This is crucial not only for improving the overall user experience but also for complying with legal standards like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Furthermore, accessible forms can enhance your website's search engine optimization (SEO) by making your content more discoverable and easier to understand for search engines. Ultimately, prioritizing accessibility helps create an inclusive web environment that benefits everyone.

1. Use Clear and Descriptive Labels

Why It's Important?

Labels provide essential information about the purpose of a form field, ensuring users know exactly what data to input. Without clear and descriptive labels, users, particularly those using screen readers or other assistive technologies, may struggle to understand what information is required. This can result in confusion, incomplete forms, or inaccurate submissions, ultimately hindering the user experience and accessibility of the form. Proper labeling is crucial for creating inclusive and user-friendly interfaces for all individuals.

How to Implement?

• Use the <label> element to associate each form field with a descriptive label.
• Ensure that labels are visible and positioned next to their corresponding form fields.
• Avoid placeholder text as a substitute for labels; placeholders disappear when users start typing, which can create confusion.

Example:

<label for="email">Email Address</label>

<input type="email" id="email" name="email">

Image Source: Fluent Forms

2. Provide Instructions and Error Messages

Why It's Important?

Clear instructions and error messages are essential in guiding users through the form completion process. They provide step-by-step assistance, ensuring that users understand each requirement and can successfully navigate the form.

Additionally, these instructions and messages help users to efficiently identify and correct any mistakes, ultimately improving their overall experience and reducing frustration. By offering detailed guidance and prompt feedback, the form becomes more user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience.

How to Implement?

• Place instructions near the relevant form fields.
• Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and properties to ensure instructions and error messages are announced by screen readers.
• Make error messages specific and actionable.

Example:

<p id="email-instructions">Please enter a valid email address.</p>

<label for="email">Email Address</label>

<input type="email" id="email" name="email" aria-describedby="email-instructions">

3. Ensure Keyboard Accessibility

Why It's Important?

Many users, including those with mobility impairments, rely on keyboards instead of mice to navigate web forms. This is because keyboards offer a more accessible and efficient way to interact with digital content. For individuals with limited hand movement or dexterity, using a mouse can be challenging or even impossible. Ensuring web forms are fully navigable via keyboard not only enhances usability but also promotes inclusivity for all users.

How to Implement?

• Ensure all form elements are reachable and operable using a keyboard.
• Use a logical tab order, so users can move through the form in a predictable sequence.
• Provide visual focus indicators to help users track their position within the form.

4. Use Accessible CAPTCHA Alternatives

Why It's Important?

Traditional CAPTCHAs can be challenging for users with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities, often causing frustration and accessibility barriers. These users may struggle to interpret distorted text or complex images, making it difficult for them to verify their human identity and access online services.

Image Source: Rangle

This issue highlights the need for more inclusive and user-friendly verification methods.

How to Implement?

• Use accessible CAPTCHA alternatives, such as reCAPTCHA, which provides audio challenges.
• Consider non-CAPTCHA alternatives, like honeypot fields or time-based submissions, to reduce spam without hindering accessibility.

5. Optimize for Screen Readers

Why It's Important?

Screen readers convert digital text into synthesized speech, enabling visually impaired users to interact with web content. These tools provide essential accessibility by reading aloud text on websites, describing images, and even navigating menus, ensuring that visually impaired individuals can engage with digital information independently.

How to Implement?

• Ensure form elements have meaningful labels and descriptions.
• Use ARIA landmarks, roles, and properties to enhance navigation and provide additional context.
• Test your forms with screen readers to identify and fix any issues.

Example:

<label for="username">Username</label>

<input type="text" id="username" name="username" aria-label="Enter your username">

6. Test for Accessibility

Why It's Important?

Regular testing is crucial as it helps identify and resolve accessibility issues, ensuring a seamless experience for all users. By consistently evaluating our platforms, we can detect potential barriers and make necessary adjustments to accommodate diverse needs, ultimately fostering an inclusive environment for everyone.

How to Implement?

• Use automated accessibility testing tools, like WAVE or Axe, to scan your forms for common issues.
• Conduct manual testing with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and keyboard navigation.
• Gather feedback from users with disabilities to gain insights into their experiences.

7. Use Sufficient Color Contrast

Why It's Important?

Users with visual impairments, including color blindness, rely on high contrast between text and background to read content easily. This is particularly important in digital interfaces where low contrast can make it difficult to distinguish between different elements. Ensuring that text stands out clearly against its background not only enhances readability but also improves overall accessibility for all users.

How to Implement?

• Ensure a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
• Use tools like the Color Contrast Analyzer to check the contrast of your forms.
• Avoid using color alone to convey information; combine it with text or icons.

Example:

<label for="password" style="color: #000;">Password</label>

<input type="password" id="password" name="password" style="background-color: #fff;">

8. Group Related Elements With Fieldsets and Legends

Why It's Important?

Grouping related form elements helps users understand the structure of the form and the relationship between different fields. This organizational technique is particularly beneficial for users relying on screen readers, as it provides clear context and improves navigation. By logically clustering related inputs, you enhance the overall user experience, making the form more intuitive and accessible for everyone.

How to Implement?

• Use the <fieldset> element to group related form elements.
• Utilize the <legend> element to provide a label for the group.
• Ensure the legend is descriptive and relevant to the group of fields.

Example:

<fieldset>

<legend>Personal Information</legend>

<label for="first-name">First Name:</label>

<input type="text" id="first-name" name="first-name">

<label for="last-name">Last Name:</label>

<input type="text" id="last-name" name="last-name">

</fieldset>

9. Avoid Auto-Advancing Forms

Why It's Important?

Auto-advancing forms can disorientate users, particularly those with cognitive disabilities or those using screen readers, by unexpectedly moving the focus to a new form field. This sudden shift can cause confusion and disrupt the user's flow, making it challenging to complete the form accurately and efficiently. Such design choices can hinder accessibility and create barriers for those who rely on assistive technologies to navigate online content.

How to Implement?

• Allow users to manually move between fields using the keyboard or mouse.
• Provide clear instructions if any part of the form needs to dynamically update based on user input.
• Test the form to ensure that users have full control over navigation.

Example:

html

<label for="phone">Phone Number:</label>

<input type="tel" id="phone" name="phone" placeholder="(123) 456-7890" aria-describedby="phone-instructions">

<p id="phone-instructions">Please enter your phone number in the format (123) 456-7890.</p>

10. Provide Visual and Textual Cues for Required Fields

Why It's Important?

Indicating which fields are required helps users understand what information is necessary to complete the form, enhancing usability for everyone. This simple step can reduce user frustration and errors, ensuring that all essential data is collected efficiently. By providing clear instructions, you improve the overall user experience and streamline the form submission process.

How to Implement?

• Use asterisks (*) or labels like "(required)" to indicate required fields.
• Ensure that these indicators are communicated to screen readers.
• Place the indicators consistently, either before or after the field labels.

Example:

<label for="email">Email Address <span aria-hidden="true">*</span><span class="sr-only">(required)</span></label>

<input type="email" id="email" name="email" aria-required="true">

Image Source: Fluent Forms

Incorporating these additional tips will further enhance the accessibility of your web forms, ensuring a more inclusive and user-friendly experience for all.

Leveraging DashClicks’ Form Builder Software for Accessible Forms

Creating accessible forms can be a complex and time-consuming process, requiring careful attention to detail and adherence to best practices. This is where white label form builder software comes into play. Designed with an emphasis on accessibility, DashClicks provides a suite of tools and features that simplify the creation of inclusive forms without sacrificing functionality or design.

How DashClicks Form Builder Can Help?

• User-Friendly Interface: The software offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to create forms with accessible labels, instructions, and error messages. Users don’t need to be coding experts to produce forms that meet accessibility standards.
• Pre-Built Templates: The software includes a variety of pre-built, accessible form templates. These templates follow best practices and can be customized to fit specific needs, ensuring consistency and compliance with accessibility guidelines.
• Automatic ARIA Implementation: The software automatically incorporates ARIA roles, properties, and landmarks into form fields, enhancing screen reader compatibility and making the forms easier to navigate for users with visual impairments.
• Keyboard Navigation: The form builder ensures that all elements are keyboard accessible, with a logical tab order and visual focus indicators. This functionality is crucial for users who rely on keyboard navigation.
• Accessible CAPTCHA Options: The software provides accessible CAPTCHA alternatives, including audio challenges and non-CAPTCHA methods, to verify user identity without creating barriers for those with disabilities.
• Color Contrast Tools: The platform includes built-in tools to check and optimize color contrast, ensuring that text and other elements are easily distinguishable for users with visual impairments.

By utilizing the form builder software, you can effortlessly create accessible, user-friendly forms that adhere to legal requirements and best practices, ultimately promoting an inclusive digital experience for all users.

Conclusion

Making your forms accessible is not just about compliance; it's about creating an inclusive online experience for everyone. By following these ten tips, you can ensure your forms are usable by all visitors, enhancing your website's accessibility and improving your overall user experience.

By implementing these tips, you'll be well on your way to creating accessible web forms that cater to all users. Don't forget to stay updated with the latest accessibility guidelines and continuously improve your forms based on user feedback.