Overview of Labels or Instructions
Purpose
Have you ever been asked to fill out a form and not known if they wanted your full name, first name, last name, or legal name? Perhaps a quick scan of other fields might have cleared up any initial confusion. But for people with cognitive disabilities, or who rely on assistive technologies, it might take longer to piece together the right answer. Having clear labels and instructions helps everyone.
Forms should have instructions so people know how to complete them, and individual form fields should have labels.
How to Test
- Manually review the page for any of the following common issues related to data entry:
- Run an automated accessibility checker looking for
- Manually use a Screen Reader to verify if
Best Practices
Provide clear labels and instructions
In the example below, each actionable control (buttons, combo boxes, and editboxes) has a clear and visible label. Directions are provided to explain that required fields are denoted with a red asterisk.
Exceptions
None - required for all user input controls.
References
Understanding Success Criterion 3.3.2: Labels or Instructions