How to Design Accessible Forms for Your Website: A Step-by-Step Guide

Design of accessible forms for any website, is essential, as they allow users to interact with your content, provide feedback, sign up, purchase, and more. However, not all forms are created equal. Some forms may be difficult or impossible to use for people with disabilities, such as visual impairments, cognitive disabilities, or those who rely on keyboard navigation.

Accessible forms are forms that are designed and coded in a way that makes them easy to use for everyone, regardless of their abilities or preferences. Accessible forms follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which are the internationally recognized standards for web accessibility.

In this blog post, we will show you how to design accessible forms for your website, following five best practices that cover the most common aspects of form accessibility. By following these tips, you will not only make your forms more inclusive and user-friendly, but also improve your SEO, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction.

1. Provide sufficient contrast between foreground and background, on accessible forms

One of the most basic aspects of design of accessible forms is ensuring that the text and other elements on your form have enough contrast with the background color. This makes it easier for people with low vision, color blindness, or other visual impairments to read and understand your form.

The WCAG recommends a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt or 14pt bold) ¹. You can use online tools such as WebAIM Contrast Checker to test the contrast ratio of your form elements.

Example: Contrast ratio

Insufficient

Some people cannot read text if there is not sufficient contrast between the text and background. For others, bright colors (high luminance) are not readable; they need low luminance.

Sufficient

Some people cannot read text if there is not sufficient contrast between the text and background. For others, bright colors (high luminance) are not readable; they need low luminance.

2. On forms don’t use color alone to convey information

While color can be a useful way to convey information on your form, such as indicating required fields or errors, it should not be the only way. Some users may not be able to perceive color differences or may have different color preferences. Therefore, you should always provide additional cues that do not rely on color perception, such as symbols, labels, or text.

For example, you can use an asterisk (*) in addition to color to indicate required fields, and use labels or messages to explain errors or provide feedback.

Example: Using color to convey meaning

Color only

Required fields are in red

Name Email

Color and symbol

Required fields are in red and marked with an *

Name * Email *

3. Ensure that interactive elements on accessible forms are easy to identify

Another important aspect of form accessibility is making sure that the interactive elements on your form, such as buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdown menus, are easy to identify and operate. This means that they should have clear labels, visible borders or outlines, and distinct states (such as normal, hover, focus, active, and disabled).

You should also ensure that your form elements are keyboard accessible, meaning that users can navigate and activate them using the Tab key and other keyboard shortcuts. This is especially important for users who cannot use a mouse or a touch screen due to physical or cognitive disabilities.

To make your form elements keyboard accessible, you should use the appropriate HTML elements (such as <input>, <select>, <button>, etc.) and attributes (such as type, name, value, id, etc.) for each element. You should also use the <label> element to associate each form control with its corresponding label text. This helps screen readers and other assistive technologies to identify and announce the form elements correctly.

Example: Labeling controls

Incorrect

Name <input type=“text”>

Correct

<label for=“name”>Name</label> <input type=“text” id=“name”>

4. Provide clear and consistent navigation options on accessible forms

Another aspect of form accessibility is providing clear and consistent navigation options for your users. This means that your form should have a logical structure and layout that follows the natural reading order and flow of information. You should also group related form elements together using the <fieldset> and <legend> elements, which help users understand the context and purpose of each section of your form.

You should also provide clear instructions and feedback for your users throughout your form. For example, you should indicate the purpose and format of each input field using placeholder text or hints; you should validate the user input and provide error messages or suggestions if something is wrong; you should notify the user about the progress and status of your form submission; and you should provide a clear and visible way to submit, cancel, or reset your form.