8. Accessible Online Forms

Registration forms, surveys, feedback, and applications are how your community reaches you. If a form is not accessible, people are shut out at the very first step.

The good news: tools like Google Forms and Microsoft Forms are accessible by default — as long as you use their real question types and don’t paste questions in as pictures. The habits below apply to any form.

Label every field clearly

Give each question a clear, visible label — don’t rely on faint placeholder text inside the box, which disappears as soon as someone types.
Keep each label right next to its field so it is obvious what belongs where.

Mark required fields in words

A red asterisk on its own depends on color and is easy to miss. Add the word “(required)” as well, and tell people up front which questions are optional.

Give clear instructions

Add a short description at the top: what the form is for and how long it takes.
Add help text to any question that needs a specific format (for example, “Date as DD/MM/YYYY”).

Keep it short and logical

Ask only what you truly need, and group related questions together.
Put questions in a sensible order — one idea per question.

Describe errors in words

When something is wrong, say what and how to fix it — “Please enter a valid email address” — not just a red outline around the box.

A few more form habits

Use the tool’s real question types (multiple choice, checkboxes, short answer) — never a screenshot of a question.
Add alt text to any image placed inside the form.
Give the form a clear title and share it with a descriptive link, not a bare URL.
Check that text and buttons have enough contrast (4.5:1).

Forms checklist

Every field has a clear, visible label.
Required fields say “(required)”, not just a colored asterisk.
Instructions and format hints are provided where needed.
Errors are explained in words, not by color alone.
Real question types are used (no images of questions); images have alt text.
The form can be completed by keyboard and on a phone.