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  • Media Type Adobe Acrobat PDF > Forms
  • State Active
  • Advisory No

Form fields should explicitly indicate the form field label as accessible text. When form fields do not explicitly include a label, assistive technology may guess at the label or provide no label at all to users. When the incorrect or no label is provided users of assistive technology may not be able to complete a form.

Compliant Example

Compliant field markup may look similar to this pseudo-code.

Billing
Address
<Form>
 <TextInput1 OBJR tooltip="Billing Address">
</Form>
City
<Form>
 <TextInput2 OBJR tooltip="Billing City">
</Form>
State
<Form>
 <TextInput3 OBJR tooltip="Billing State">
</Form>
Zip
<Form>
 <TextInput4 OBJR tooltip="Billing Zip">
</Form>

Non-Compliant Example

Non-Compliant field markup may look similar to this pseudo-code.

Billing
Address
<Form>
 <TextInput1 OBJR tooltip="">
</Form>
City
<Form>
 <TextInput2 OBJR tooltip="">
</Form>
State
<Form>
 <TextInput3 OBJR tooltip="">
</Form>
Zip
<Form>
 <TextInput4 OBJR tooltip="">
</Form>

An accessible label should be associated with each form field through the tooltip property of the form object property dialog. The tooltip should include the group name, field name, and any constraint information.

  1. Activate the object selection tool
  2. Select the form field to label
  3. Activate the properties option from the context menu
  4. Enter a group name, field name, and constraint information into the tooltip field of the properties dialog
  5. Activate the Close button

Organization Standards

  • § 508-1194.22 Web Sites and Applications
    • (n) Ensure electronic forms are accessible
  • Section 508 and 255 (Revised 2017)
    • Chapter 3: Functional Performance Criteria
      • 302.1 Without Vision
  • WCAG 2.0 Level A
    • 1.3.1 Information and relationships conveyed through presentation
    • 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value
  • WCAG 2.1 Level A
    • 1.3.1 Info and Relationships
    • 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

Other Mapped Standards

  • § 508-1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems
    • (l) Ensure usability of electronic forms
  • § 508-1194.22 VA Testing Checklist - Web Sites and Applications
    • (n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form
      • (n.2) Are form fields explicitly labeled using unique and meaningful labels, title attributes, or other accessibility supported method (e.g. aria-labelledby) that provide important information (such as “Required” when this information is not provided by another method e.g. the required or aria-required attribute) and the expected input format)?
  • § 508-1194.31 Functional performance criteria
    • (a) Ensure access for blind and visually impaired
  • BITV 2.0 (Priority I)
    • 1.3.1 Informationen und Beziehungen
    • 4.1.2 Name, Rolle, Wert
  • EN 301 549 v3.2.1 [beta]
    • Chapter 4: Functional Performance
      • 4.2 Functional Performance Statements (FPS)
        • 4.2.1 Usage without vision
        • 4.2.2 Usage with limited vision
    • Chapter 10: Non-web Documents
      • 10.1 Perceivable
        • 10.1.3 Adaptable
          • 10.1.3.1 Info and relationships
      • 10.4 Robust
        • 10.4.1 Compatible
          • 10.4.1.2 Name, role, value
  • HHS PDF 508 Checklist (2014)
    • 6.0 Form Fields
      • (6.1) Do all form fields have correct labels and markups: 1. Form fields must have a visual text label next to the form tag and there must be a tool tip. 2. Is the value attribute used on buttons? 3. Is the label element not being used on hidden input fields (e.g., input type =”hidden”)?
      • (6.3) Are all multiple-choice answers keyboard accessible and grouped together as form-field sets? 1. The value attribute needs to match the text next to the answer. 2. Make sure the name attribute is the same.
  • JIS X 8341-3: 2004 - Technical Standards Subpart 5
    • 5.3 (b) Ensure form fields are operable and clearly labeled
  • NFB Certification
    • Forms
  • WCAG 1.0 Priority 2
    • 12.4 Associate labels explicitly with their controls.
  • WCAG 2.2 Level A
    • 1.3.1 Info and Relationships
    • 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

  • Severity

    9 (red)
    in range of 1 to 10

  • Noticeability

    6 ()
    in range of 1 to 10

  • Tractability

    2 ()
    in range of 1 to 10