How to Create an Accessible Event Submission Form

The main purpose of any web submission form is to contact more users. To fulfill this purpose, a form needs to be highly accessible. The same goes for an event submission form. If your event submission form is inaccessible, you will most likely increase your chances of missing out on prospective attendees.

In short, it is essential to create forms that are accessible by removing as many roadblocks as you can in order to make it easier for more people to access your event submission form. To make this happen, make your submission forms more accessible with accurate labels, prompts, and visual cues. The key is to create a submission form for your event that is well-designed and accessible to users. An online form can be a complex interface, especially when they are poorly designed. They can be frustrating for users to complete, which means a lost opportunity for you as an event planner and any prospective attendees of your event. However, it does not have to be this way. Making accessible forms does not have to be as difficult as you may think. It just requires time and precision. The devil is in the details. Follow us on this guide on how to create forms that are accessible, and you will see that everyone will benefit from a well-designed form, especially users with various disabilities.

Definition: What is an Event Submission Form?

Before an event, it is efficient and much better to anticipate who and how many attendees you will expect to attend your event. An event submission form is an HTML-a document designed to be displayed in a web browser where users with access to the web can access it. The event submission form allows prospective attendees to register or record their intent to attend a particular event. In addition, more elaborate data can be collected about the prospective attendees who register. Well-designed questionnaires in the event submission form can be used to collect sufficient data.

Why Do You Need Accessible Submission Forms?      

An accessible submission form means that it’s accessible to people who use screen readers and keyboards. The content of the submission form should be clear and natural in order to reduce or eliminate any difficulties that the users might encounter while attempting to complete the form. It is easy for web forms to be rendered confusing and complicated to complete. An unclear interface that fails to define what is required and in what format, will be rendered unfriendly for users. Especially if that interface is unthoughtful of people with disabilities. It is essential to ensure that the submitting process of your submission form is available for everyone by paying close attention to its design and accessibility. No one would appreciate convoluted web forms.

Who can Benefit from Accessible Forms?

Making accessible forms will greatly benefit everyone. This includes people with disabilities of any sort. From cognitive disabilities to those who rely on speech to text controls, such as voice command, to people with limited motor control to those who are visually impaired. Whatever the disability, all options and solutions should be considered. Testing your forms for each possible disability may be the best thing you can do before determining whether your form’s construction is accessible to everyone.

How to Create Accessible Submission Forms

Create a submission form that is truly accessible and useable by ensuring that it is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Test your submission form by asking yourself questions like: Is your submission form easy and logical to use? Do the labels describe the function of each form of control? Can the form be completed with only a keyboard? These are just some of the many questions one should ask to determine if a submission form is accessible or not. By ensuring and testing the accessibility of your form you will be able to create forms that are accessible. Below we list some of the most important aspects that should be considered when creating accessible submission forms.

Introduce Your Form

Before anything else, all the information on your form should be understandable and readable. The key aspects to focus on while introducing your form are the following: be clear and concise on describing what kind of form it is, describe the purpose of the form, state in detail how many fields it contains, give an approximation of how long will it take the user to complete it, and finally, let the users know how the information collected will be processed and used. The goal is to make it easy for the user.

Build Your Form Layout

The best accessible forms usually run vertically, from top to down. One question is preceded by an answer and so on. A form in this manner flows logically. This accessible form example interacts in a consistent manner with consistent patterns. Adaptive technologies to interpret web forms are also important when taking into consideration users with disabilities. On a more practical note, make your form layout according to HCI principles. For example, place the labels near the associated input field. Have the text fields precede the input field, either above or to the left of the input field. As for radio buttons and checkboxes, the label should be displayed on the right of the input field. In doing so, your forms will be more accessible and easier to use.

Provide Form Navigation

Simplify your form navigation with operable and understandable features that the user will find easy to use. Some forms may require more than one page, perhaps multiple. If that’s the case, you want to make sure that each page is introduced with a heading or some text indicating on what page the user is on. If you are going to include any navigation options, it is better to include them at the top of each page in order to allow more simplicity and accessibility for users with disabilities to jump to specific fields. Furthermore, when offering options to navigate, it is imperative for the navigation options to be written out in a logical and coherent manner, usually in one full, clear sentence.

Be Clear on Labeling Fields

Every input in a web form should have an associated label that is clear and comprehensive. The absence of a label will hinder users from providing any accurate information. Labels serve as an essential purpose in web forms because they let the users know what information you expect from them. When writing a label, focus on providing as much information as possible. Use full words instead of symbols, and clarify in the label description how a response ought to be formatted. The placement of the label is also important. Preferably, a label should be placed directly above or to the left of the input field.

Group Related Fields

A submission form with multiple labeling fields will be better off if it has sections for related fields. If you make group related fields, your submission form will be more organized and approachable to users. It is also important that group related fields be written in a way that enhances the clarity of the form. And in the case of planning an event, a form’s construction and content are important determining factors of just how accessible an event submission form template will be for prospective attendees.

Selection Fields

When it comes to radio buttons and checkboxes, it is more useful to place their labels on the right of the input fields. Also, radio buttons and checkboxes should be oversized to make it easier to access for users with motor skill disabilities. Visually challenged users should also be able to verify their selections through the help of screen readers. As for dropdown boxes, the labels can be placed above or on the left. Create the dropdowns boxes without javascript, and ensure that they can be activated and selected by using a keyboard. A mechanism that verifies and signals what the user has selected should be provided.  

Provide Review Options

It is easy to make mistakes or leave something out while filling out a form. Allowing the user to review their input information is a wise decision. A review of the input information should be in large text and also accessible for screen readers. Each answer provided by the user should be preceded by the label field. This will help users to identify any mistakes in the data.   

Provide Attachments Options

It is better for an attachment option to be obvious and easy to find by making it larger than other options. It should also be clearly stated what the attachment option is for and what file types it accepts. Be specific with the language you use, and avoid dull cliches, such as “drag here.” Instead, look into using language that gets the users to take action. For example, “Upload your resume/CV as a pdf file.”   

Notify About Errors        

Even with specific labels and well-defined descriptions, input errors can and will occur. When this happens, an error message or error flag should not only be compatible with screen readers but also automatically triggered if a field is completed incorrectly by the user. To make it easier for the user, provide details about the nature of the error(s), accompanied by a solution the user can quickly resolve to. Ideally, the error message should appear at the top of the page. And it should allow the user to immediately access the field of the question where the mistake was done. Alternatively, there are three more techniques to show errors; error dialogue, error area, and inline error. They each have their advantages and disadvantages. But in general, the error must be clear enough for the user to understand and know how to approach it. 

Show Progress

Keep the users informed about their progress in the web form. Announce at the top of the page and at the bottom of the page, how far the user is advancing or progressing through the document. This will also motivate them to complete the form more accurately. Being cautious about the time needed to complete the form is also important. Consider that some of the users might be using assistive tools to complete the form. Extra time might be needed is this case. When the form is complete, encourage the user to submit the web form with a clear submission button designed to let the user feel a sense of accomplishment after completing the web form.

Testing and Improving Your Submission Form

Testing your forms is beneficial for everyone. In order to get things right, every page and every field of your submission form should be tested. Submission form testing should determine how accessible your submission form is, especially with assistive and adaptive technologies used by users with disabilities and limiting challenges. By testing your forms, you will also notice where your submission form requires improvement, and how it can be made better for the user to not only access it but to also complete it and submit it successfully. 

How We Can Help You!

Reach more people. Create an event submission form that can reach out to many more prospective event attendees. Learn all the essentials about making accessible forms in one guide. We can help you find the best ways to create forms that are accessible to even more people.     

Conclusion

Learning how to make accessible forms is important. Ideally, you want a web submission form to make contact and connect with more people. And when it comes to creating an event submission form for your next event, being able to reach out to more prospective attendees can be determined by the accessibility and usability of your event submission form template. The truth is that web forms are complex because a lot of information that will be collected requires to be handled and managed the right way. In addition, everything in the submission form has to be clear and carefully linked correctly. No one said it would be easy to create a submission form that is accessible. However, no one ever said you shouldn’t seek help in how to make accessible forms. This is why we are here to help you.