Forms
Forms—whether built in the Content Management System (CMS), Microsoft Forms, Google Forms, or Qualtrics—should be easy for everyone to use. Simple steps like clear labels, helpful instructions, and accessible error messages support assistive technologies and improve usability for all.
When forms are designed with accessibility in mind, they’re more inclusive and easier to understand and complete. Use the resources on this page to learn how to create accessible forms across the tools you use.
Who is responsible?
Anyone who creates, uploads, edits or distributes forms for instruction, communication, marketing, promotion, or other academic or business purposes is responsible for ensuring that the form is accessible.
What standards do you need to meet?
All online forms must comply with the required WCAG 2.1 AA standards. These guidelines are referenced in WMU’s Web Accessibility Policy and in the ADA Title II federal regulations.
What to do?
Use the following best practices to help ensure your forms are accessible to all users.
- Clear labels: Every form field must have a visible, descriptive label that clearly identifies what information is required.
- Instructions: Provide concise instructions at the beginning of the form and near complex questions or required fields.
- Error messages: Use clear, specific error messages that explain what went wrong and how to fix it. Do not rely on color alone to indicate errors.
- Programmatic associations: Use associations to connect each form field to its label and instructions in the code so screen readers know what information to read aloud when someone navigates to that field.
- Announce asynchronous updates: Allow for alerts to screen reader users when something on the page changes or updates on its own, like when an error message appears or content finishes loading.
- Logical order: Use a meaningful tab and reading order that matches the visual layout.
What tools are available?
CMS
Forms built in the University’s CMS are typically used for contact pages, event registrations and information requests. They must use built-in accessible components, clear heading structure, and properly associated labels and error messages.
Siteimprove
Siteimprove is a platform that Western uses to help manage and improve our websites by checking for issues in accessibility, quality assurance and SEO.
Siteimprove resources
To request user access to Siteimprove, contact the Digital Accessibility Team.
Siteimprove users receive monthly reports with fixes that need to be made to ensure their section of the University website is accessible.
Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms works well for surveys, quizzes and internal data collection, and supports basic to moderately complex forms.
WAVE Web Accessibility Browser Extensions
Google Forms
Google Forms is a good option for quick surveys and sign-ups, handling basic to moderately complex data entry needs.
Qualtrics
Qualtrics is best for complex surveys and research tools. It offers advanced accessibility options that require intentional setup and is ideal for sophisticated surveys using Qualtrics-specific features.
What training and resources are available?
General
CMS
- Siteimprove’s Siteimprove Onboarding: Introduction and Accessibility
- Siteimprove’s Accessibility for Content Contributors
- Siteimprove’s Accessibility Fundamentals for the Web
- Siteimprove’s Accessibility Testing for the Web
Microsoft Forms
Google Forms
Google Forms training and help
Qualtrics
Siteimprove Learning Hub
Some Siteimprove links and learning resources require special access. As the University works toward a single sign‑on (SSO) solution for the Siteimprove Learning Hub, you may need to request access to continue using these learning and training resources.
To request Siteimprove Learning Hub access, contact the Digital Accessibility Team.