DARS Best Practices for Accessible Forms

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DARS Best Practices for Accessible Forms

• Ron Lucey
• DARS Accessibility Coordinator
• Michael Moore
• DARS Accessibility Specialist

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Training Objectives

• Understand state and federal requirements for
  accessible forms
• Understand how to achieve accessibility with
  common formats of electronic forms
• MS Word Forms
• PDF Forms
• HTML Forms
• Conclusion

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State Requirements for Accessible Forms

• 1 TAC 206.50(1)(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, including all directions and cues.

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State Requirements for Spanish Forms Web
Content

• Senate Bill 213 (79th Reg. Session) codified in
  Texas Government Code 2054.116
• State agencies must ensure meaningful access to
  their online information for Spanish-speaking
  individuals with limited English proficiency
  (LEP). To facilitate the accessibility of state
  websites for individuals with LEP whose primary
  language is Spanish, state agencies must ensure
  meaningful access to state information online
  including electronic forms.

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Alternative Languages

• To the extent possible and in compliance with
  current state guidance, DARS forms are made
  available to staff and consumers in the
  appropriate language.

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Accessible Forms in Spanish

• Insert screen shot of form.

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Federal Requirements for Accessible Forms

• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
  amended (29 U.S.C. 794d)
• Complementary to HB 2819.
• Covers forms as part of software applications or
  web.

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Federal Requirements - Accessible Forms (2)

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Title I employer must take steps to reasonably
  accommodate employees with disabilities
• Title II covers "public entities." September 1996
  - Civil Rights Division of the Department of
  Justice (DOJ) issued an opinion statement (letter
  204) directly addressed the issue of Web
  accessibility. "States and local governments as
  well as places of public accommodation are
  required to . . . provide effective
  communication, regardless of whether they
  generally communicate through print media, or
  computerized media such as the Internet. covered
  entities that use the Internet for communications
  must be prepared to offer those communications
  through accessible means as well."

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The Forms Challenge

• Forms are one of the most challenging items to
  make accessible.
• DARS has over 400 forms in MS Word, PDF, and HTML
  formats.
• Over 150 DARS staff require assistive
  technologies to perform their jobs, benefiting
  from accessible forms.
• 4 million Texans with disabilities are
  potentially served by state agencies.

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The Forms Challenge (2)

• Form labels must be programmatically bound to the
  form input.
• Screen readers use a special mode for completing
  forms (HTML and PDF)

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The Intervening Text Issue

• Most forms include instructions, acknowledgement
  statements or other blocks of text that are not
  directly associated with a particular input.
• In forms mode JAWS does not read these sections
  of intervening text.
• Locked (protected) MS Word forms intervening text
  is also missed.

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Accessible Word FormsIssues

• MS Word standard editing features can make it
  very easy to alter the form without intending to
  do so.
• Protecting the form to prevent accidental
  alteration can hide information from screen
  reader users.
• Not all MS Word form inputs work properly with
  assistive technologies.

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Accessible Word FormsSolutions

• Restrict input types to Text form fields
• Use the protect form feature to add all of the
  inputs to the tab ring.
• Use status bar and f1 help text to add labels to
  the form fields.
• Use hidden inputs to add instructions, section
  headings, and other intervening text to the to
  the tab ring.

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Word FormsText Inputs
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Word FormsAdding Help Text
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Word FormsHidden Inputs
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Advantages

• Ease of use. All information can be retrieved
  through the tab key.
• Maximizes efficiency for screen reader users.
• Reduces errors for screen reader users.
• Maintains document formatting and consistency

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Word FormsOther Considerations

• In most cases, help text information is entered
  exactly as it appears on the form.
• In some cases, additional information or
  instructions are added as needed, to assist users
  in completing the form.
• Section headings are clearly delineated with a
  large black bar with white text.
• 20pt X used to indicate signature line.

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PDF Forms Issues

• To enter information into the form, screen reader
  users must use forms mode.
• In forms mode, content that is not
  programmatically linked to an input is not read
  by JAWS.
• Many assistive technology users are unfamiliar
  with completing pdf forms and have had poor
  experiences with the format.

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PDF FormsScreen Reader Assistance
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PDF FormsAdvantages

• Radio buttons, check boxes and other types of
  form inputs work with assistive technologies.
• Less need for multiple hidden inputs to support
  screen readers.
• Can interface with database and include
  programming for validation and processing.

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HTML Forms

• Issues
• Screen readers need a method of programmatically
  associating the form input with a label
• Items outside of the tab ring may be missed by
  screen reader user when completing a form.

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HTML FormsInputs with visible labels (1)
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HTML FormsInputs with visible labels (2)
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HTML Forms No visible label (1)
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HTML FormsNo Visible Label (2)
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HTML FormsDealing with intervening text

• Short
• Fieldset/Legend
• Long
• Break form into series of pages with instructions
  at beginning of each page.
• Provide additional instructions at the beginning
  of the form that warn screen reader users that
  there are intervening instructions in the form.
  This can be done in the alt text of an invisible
  image.

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HTML Forms (Error Messages)

• If focus placed on input, then error message
  should be part of label and/or title.
• If focus placed at top of page, error message
  should be at top of page.
• Other possible strategy, use Alert dialog box.

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Format Considerations
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Resources

• Section 508.gov
• http//www.section508.gov/
• W3C/WAI
• http//www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/
• Knowbility
• http//www.knowbility.org/main/
• Web-AIM
• http//www.webaim.org/
• Adobe Accessibility Resource Center
• http//www.adobe.com/accessibility/
• Texas HHS Accessibility Center
• http//architecture.hhsc.state.tx.us/myweb/Accessi
  bility/website/index.shtml

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Questions

• ?
• Audience forms questions