Fillable web forms are everywhere—from shopping sites to scheduling a doctor’s visit. Because of their wide use, I interact with fillable forms regularly. As a blind person who relies on a screen reader for digital navigation, my experience with web forms can be quite different from sighted users. Unfortunately, I don’t always have the best experience in terms of accessibility and usability.
In the rest of this post, I will discuss some of the most common accessibility challenges I face when entering information on the web. These observations are based solely on my experience using a screen reader, which means other users with different assistive technologies may encounter different challenges.
If you’re looking for more background on accessibility and usability in digital design, check out What You Need to Know About Accessibility and Usability in Design.
Unlabeled or Mislabeled Fields
One of the most significant accessibility challenges is unlabeled fields. For screen readers to detect and speak text fields correctly, there must be a corresponding text label in the code that clearly indicates the information required.
When labels are missing, screen readers either ignore the field or announce an ambiguous phrase like “Blank, Text Field, Is Editing” or just “Text Field.” This leaves screen reader users guessing what information belongs in the field, making it impossible to complete the form accurately.
Another issue is mislabeled fields. I recently filled out a long web form, only to receive an error indicating that data was entered in the wrong format. A sighted user helped me discover that the screen reader’s announcements were one field ahead of the actual labels. This caused me to enter an email address in the phone number field, triggering a formatting error.
All text fields on digital web forms must have accurate text labels to support screen reader accessibility. For practical tips on building accessible digital forms, visit Tips on How to Build Accessible Digital Forms.
Required Information Markers
I try to give as little personal information as possible when filling out web forms. This is where “Required” markers come in. Many forms use symbols like an asterisk to indicate that a field must be completed to submit the form.
However, these markers are often not announced to screen reader users. This is likely because they are symbol-based, and screen readers struggle to process and speak complex symbols, especially if the font is fancy or irregular.
When this happens, I either have to abandon the form or fill in every field, which compromises my digital privacy.
To learn more about accessibility guidelines and best practices, take a look at Your Questions on WCAG 2.2 and Accessible Design.
Lack of Compatibility with Form Navigation Commands
This issue affects usability. Modern screen readers offer quick navigation commands for web forms. These commands allow users to:
- Move from one field to another without changing keyboard focus
- Invoke autofill menus
- Quickly exit the form if necessary
However, for this functionality to work, the form must be structured correctly. If it isn’t, I can’t use screen reader commands to navigate the form efficiently.
This makes the experience clunky and tedious. Instead of moving swiftly through the fields, I must manually move the focus to the next field every time I need to progress. This takes significantly more time, especially if the form has other accessibility issues—which, unfortunately, is very common.
TL;DR
Web forms are commonly used for tasks like shopping and scheduling appointments but are often inaccessible for blind screen reader users. Challenges include:
- Unlabeled or Mislabeled Fields: Screen readers can’t announce fields without proper labels, leading to errors.
- Required Information Markers: Symbols used to indicate required fields are often not announced, risking privacy.
- Navigation Issues: Poor form structure prevents screen readers from using quick navigation commands, making the experience tedious.
The upcoming European Accessibility Act (EAA) deadline of June 2025 adds urgency to digital accessibility compliance. Learn more about how this impacts businesses at our upcoming webinar: The European Accessibility Act (EAA): What Businesses Need to Know.
Accessible web forms are essential for inclusive digital experiences.
Final Thoughts
Many modern digital experiences require data entry through fillable web forms. Therefore, these forms must be accessible and usable for everyone. I hope this discussion sheds light on web form accessibility issues and fuels future design improvements.
Looking ahead, the upcoming European Accessibility Act (EAA) deadline of June 2025 adds urgency to ensuring digital accessibility compliance. Organizations that serve customers in the EU must meet these requirements to avoid penalties.
To learn more about how the EAA impacts digital accessibility and what businesses need to know, join our upcoming webinar: The European Accessibility Act (EAA): What Businesses Need to Know.
