Digital forms are the gateways of the web. We use forms to request services, apply for jobs and communicate with organizations. Inaccessible forms are a barrier that prevent users with disabilities from fully participating in digital life. Ensuring form accessibility is a fundamental requirement for user experience and legal compliance.

Equal Access and Legal Compliance

By April 24, 2026, all digital forms used at NC State must be accessible and meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

At its core, accessible form design is about providing equal access to information and functionality. People using assistive technologies, such as screen readers, voice control software and keyboard navigation, rely on clean, semantic code to interact with and complete forms.

• Screen Reader Users: Without proper coding, a screen reader may simply announce “edit field” for every box, leaving the user unaware of what they should put into the field.
• Keyboard-only Users: Individuals who cannot use a mouse due to motor disabilities must be able to use the Tab key to navigate sequentially through every form field, button and link.

Best Practices for Building Forms

• Proper Labels: Visual labels must be linked to the input field.
• Logical Flow: When tabbing through a form using a keyboard, the user must be able to move through the form in a sensible sequence.
• Group Context: Groups of related controls, like radio buttons, should be identified as a fieldset to provide the necessary context to screen reader users.
• Accessible Error Alerts: When a user makes an error, the error message should be clearly visible and announced to the user.

In essence, an accessible form is a well-designed form. Investing in accessibility ensures that your digital services are open to the broadest possible audience, transforming potential barriers into seamless digital interactions.

Accessibility Resources by Form Tool

• Accessible Qualtrics Forms
• Accessible Google Forms
• Gravity Form Accessibility
• Accessible JotForms

Check Your Forms

Quickly check your forms using the WAVE extension.

• Introduction to WAVE (Video)
• How to use the Wave Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (Video)

If you have questions about creating accessible forms, contact Rebecca Sitton, university digital accessibility coordinator, at accessibility@ncsu.edu. You can also learn more about digital accessibility on the new campuswide accessibility hub.