Best practices for designing more accessible forms

To make your application more accessible, take note of these recommendations.

  • Hyperlink text should make sense on its own. Avoid using “click here” or similar text.
  • Do not convey content with colors, graphics or animations alone. Make sure you provide an alternative that can be interpreted by a screen reader.
  • Ensure that form components have clear, descriptive labels. In Design Mode under the component properties for a selected component, a designer may add a non-visible label using the caption property that will be read aloud by the screen reader. You can specify a caption in several ways, including linking the component with another component (usually a Static box), that serves as the component’s label. This is achieved using the COMPONENT keyword.
  • Provide instructions on how to use the form where needed, if possible. The form may not be as self-explanatory to a user who cannot see it. If not possible, make sure the online help is easy to access.