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Accessibility Design

Required Form Accessibility

This blog explains how to make required form fields accessible for everyone. Learn easy design tips, coding examples, and best practices to help all users including those with dis abilities fill out forms without barriers.

A Complete Guide for Designers and Developers

Forms are everywhere — from login pages and signup forms to surveys and checkout processes.
But when required fields aren’t made accessible, users with disabilities can struggle to complete essential tasks.

In this article, we’ll cover why required field accessibility matters, how to design and code accessible forms, and best practices to ensure everyone can interact with them effectively.

Why Required Field Accessibility Matters

A “required” field tells users they must provide information before submitting a form.
Sighted users can usually identify this through visual indicators like a red asterisk. However, visual cues alone don’t work for everyone — especially for people using screen readers or those with cognitive impairments.

Common accessibility issues:

  • Required fields are marked only with color or symbols.
  • Screen readers don’t announce when a field is required.
  • Error messages aren’t linked to their inputs.
  • Users navigating via keyboard can’t easily identify required fields.

Accessible forms ensure that all users regardless of ability can understand and complete them successfully.

Design Considerations for Accessible Required Fields

Accessibility starts with design. Clear and consistent form design helps everyone, not just users with disabilities.

Design Best Practices

  1. Use clear text labels
    Always include descriptive text rather than relying on symbols.
    Example:
    • Incorrect: “Name *”
    • Correct: “Name (required)”
  2. Avoid relying on color alone
    Don’t depend solely on red or any color to indicate required fields. Add a clear explanation such as:
    “Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.”
  3. Provide clear instructions at the top of the form
    Add a short note before the form starts, so users know what to expect.
    Example: “All fields marked with * are required.”
  4. Ensure good color contrast and readability
    Make sure any text or visual indicator meets WCAG 2.2 contrast standards — at least 4.5:1 for normal text.

Development: Coding Accessible Required Fields

Accessible code ensures assistive technologies correctly communicate form requirements to users.

Example 1: Basic Accessible Input

<label for=”email”>Email address <span aria-hidden=”true”>*</span></label>

<input type=”email” id=”email” name=”email” required aria-required=”true”>

Explanation:

  • The required attribute makes browsers and screen readers announce the field as mandatory.
  • aria-required="true" reinforces this for assistive technologies.
  • aria-hidden="true" hides the asterisk from screen readers so it’s not read twice.

Example 2: Adding Clear Instructions

<p>Fields marked with <span aria-hidden=”true”>*</span> are required.</p>

<label for=”name”>Full Name <span aria-hidden=”true”>*</span></label>

<input type=”text” id=”name” name=”name” required aria-required=”true”>

When using a screen reader, this will be announced as:
“Full Name, edit text, required” — providing clear context to the user.

Example 3: Handling Error Messages

<label for=”email”>Email address <span aria-hidden=”true”>*</span></label>

<input type=”email” id=”email” name=”email” aria-describedby=”email-error” required aria-required=”true”>

<span id=”email-error” class=”error” role=”alert”>Please enter a valid email address.</span>

Why this works:

  • The aria-describedby attribute links the input field to the error message.
  • role="alert" ensures screen readers announce the message immediately when it appears.

Testing Accessibility

Testing is the key to confirming that your forms work for everyone.

Manual Testing

  • Navigate using only the keyboard (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter).
  • Ensure the focus moves logically and is always visible.
  • Verify that screen readers announce required fields properly.

Screen Reader Testing

Test your form with common assistive tools such as:

  • NVDA (Windows)
  • JAWS (Windows)
  • VoiceOver (macOS and iOS)
  • TalkBack (Android)

Automated Testing Tools

Use automated tools to catch common accessibility issues:

  • axe DevTools
  • Lighthouse
  • WAVE
  • Accessibility Insights

Best Practices for Accessible Required Fields

Here are some key best practices to follow when creating accessible required fields:

  1. Always use proper labels — Every input should have a visible <label> connected using the for attribute.
  2. Use both required and aria-required="true" — These attributes help browsers and assistive technologies identify mandatory fields.
  3. Provide clear visual cues — Combine color, icons, or text indicators to show which fields are required.
  4. Include a clear instruction note — Add a line at the top explaining what symbols or text indicate required fields.
  5. Connect error messages programmatically — Use aria-describedby or similar attributes so screen readers read errors automatically.
  6. Ensure consistency — Follow the same pattern for marking required fields across all forms on your site.
  7. Support keyboard navigation — Users should be able to move through fields and submit the form entirely with a keyboard.
  8. Test with assistive technologies — Verify your form’s behavior with different screen readers and browsers.
  9. Avoid relying on placeholders — Placeholders should be examples, not replacements for labels.
  10. Use clear and concise error messages — Make sure users understand exactly what went wrong and how to fix it.

Beyond Required Fields: General Form Accessibility Tips

Accessible required fields are important, but overall form accessibility matters too.
Here are some additional suggestions:

  • Provide meaningful and descriptive form titles.
  • Group related elements with <fieldset> and <legend>.
  • Use input types that match the expected data (e.g., type="email", type="tel").
  • Maintain a logical tab order.
  • Ensure visible focus indicators for active fields.
  • Avoid time limits that make completing the form stressful.

Conclusion

Marking required fields correctly might seem like a small detail, but it makes a big difference for users relying on assistive technologies.
By following clear design, development, and testing practices, you can make your forms accessible, inclusive, and user-friendly for everyone.