What do Assistive technology users expect from forms?

You Can Do This!
1

I have looked at many sites and do not find clear references showing how “keyboard-only users” expect form validation.

Assume several different types of fields, each set to “required.” A sighted user can Tab through each field in sequence and not see an error until the form is submitted.

A11Y suggests an error message when a user leaves an invalid input field. Most users prefer returning to that field.

W3.org suggests not showing any errors until the form is submitted.
My request is for links that show today’s best practices for forms used by keyboard-only users and screen readers.

Thank you for reading.

1 Like
2

Some well-respected resources:

WebAIM: Usable and Accessible Form Validation and Error Recovery

W3C: Forms Tutorial

Specifically for handling errors:

W3C: User Notification

There is no one correct way to do error handling with forms. They each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and some are harder to implement properly.

3

Thank you, Bruce. @bbsmooth.