How to create accessible forms

Forms that aren’t accessible to consumers with disabilities not only exclude potential customers, they’re also a legal and financial risk for the organizations that create them. Learn how to create accessible forms, so people with disabilities aren’t excluded from interacting and engaging.

Plus, the benefits of digital accessibility make digital experiences easier, more efficient and more user-friendly for everyone. By nature, accessible websites are more usable, and as a result get more traffic, lower bounce rates, and higher conversion rates, with positive effects on SEO.

In particular, forms can be complicated and challenging to use. Accessible forms are easier for everyone, because they’re easier to understand and interact with.

Accessible form UX practices to follow

Update your forms in these four areas, so they’re more accessible to all users:

Accessible field labels

Field labels positioned within the input area that disappear when you start typing can be problematic for users with cognitive, memory or visual impairments. Use a floating label that floats above the field, or a permanent label above the field, so it’s still visible as you type. Make sure labels are placed above input fields and select menus. And it’s important for field labels to be descriptive with meaningful and unique text.

Accessibility for required fields

Never rely solely on color to indicate a field is required. 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women in the world are color blind. Also, avoid using color alone to indicate an error (for example, also indicate error with icon and text).

Auto-fill WCAG requirement

Browsers store your information and it’s convenient for all users to expedite entering their information using auto-fill. It’s also easy to implement in the code. The latest version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) added auto-fill as a requirement.

Limit time limits

When possible, do not require a time limit to complete a form. Time limits can make a form impossible to complete for some people.

Become an accessible and inclusive organization

If you want to provide a fully accessible experience beyond forms and across your digital experiences, contact us to talk to a Perkins Access expert today. We’ll walk you through how leading organizations are improving their digital inclusion and accessibility.