Accessible Forms Resources

WAC Resources

Creating Accessible Forms (WAC Guide) -- covers OSU Standards and electronic forms, distributing forms, screen readers and forms, elements of accessible form design, form layout, inserting and marking-up form elements, processing forms and error messages.

Creating Accessible Forms with FrontPage 2003 (WAC Guide) -- step-by-step tutorial that walks you through building a simple contact form in FrontPage 2003 using accessible mark-up.

Accessible Jump Menus (WAC Guide) -- Jump menus can cause serious problems for keyboard users and those with browsers that don't support scripting. This guide helps you decide which jump menu option is right for your needs and has sample code that you can use on your pages.

Sample Form -- The WAC has created a simple form with accessible examples of all form elements. Use it as a guide when developing your own forms or cut and paste our elements into your pages.

Labels: Wrapping Example -- see how placement of your LABEL tag changes the availability of information for screen reader users.

Labels: Hiding Labels -- sometimes designers want to hide the label text so that only screen readers can access the label information. This usually occurs when sighted users can interpret the function of the box through visual cues, but visually-impaired users will need more extensive explanation. In this test form, the WAC has tested five different methods for hiding label tags using a variety of assistive technology and browsers.

Other Resources

Creating Accessible Forms (WebAIM) -- includes lots of examples and sound files that help you understand how screen-readers interpret forms. Also includes instructions for using Dreamweaver or FrontPage to markup your forms.

Creating Accessible Forms Using Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 (Macromedia) -- covers turning on Accessibility preferences and adding form elements with accessible mark-up.

Adobe and Accessibility -- information on using Adobe products, including Acrobat, to create accessible documents and forms.

Plug-ins and Tools

HiSoftware Accessible Form Creator (freeware)-- allows you to create forms for web sites containing all the additional markup required to make the forms accessible under section 508 standards and the W3C WCAG 1.0 Priority 1-3 Guidelines.

Adobe PDF Conversion by Simple Form -- Convert your exisitng PDF documents to HTML by uploading your files into this online converter.