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Forms

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Overview

Forms, questionnaires and quizzes should be presented in a format that’s as simple as possible. Use an online form whenever you can; it can be completed on mobile or desktop and doesn't require any software.

In contrast, 'digital paper' forms made in a program like Microsoft Word require access to a program to complete and may be tricky to use on anything other than a desktop device. They are also unlikely to be accessible if they use tables as part of the layout and/or data capture.

Microsoft Forms is a good option for online forms as anyone with a University IT account can make one and it has strong digital accessibility support built in.

What and why: Forms can be hard to fill out for some people if they have been created without considering accessibility. You'll get better responses if your forms are easy to fill out for all your recipients.

Accessible options for online forms

Microsoft Forms

If you have, or would like to create, an online form, the first recommendation is to use Microsoft Forms. It can integrate with other Microsoft properties Leeds staff already have access to, such as Planner and SharePoint. Form creation is available to anyone with a University IT account and will be suitable for data capture that requires a low level of sophistication.

Online Surveys

Another option is Online Surveys. This is a more heavy duty offering compared to Microsoft Forms and it takes a little more experience to use successfully. However, it may be more suitable to detailed data capture and specialist processing.

Accessible options for digital document forms

If you have to create or work with a document-based form, it's likely to be simpler for everyone if you use a Microsoft Word file to create and circulate it. The safest way to create a form in Word is to keep everything text based - so no checkboxes or tables. Simply ask a question with text and leave a space for someone to answer in text. Even for 'yes or no' questions.

Although it's possible to create PDF forms that allow data input, PDFs are difficult to make accessible without experience, patience, and trial and error. Text-based Microsoft Word forms might not seem as sleek as a PDF form, but you can be sure everyone will be able to complete it.

Fixing a form that’s inaccessible

If you're the owner or controller of a form you know isn't accessible, first consider turning it into a Microsoft Form. See our guidance in a following section.

If you cannot use Microsoft Forms, create a simple linear Word document as an alternative or replacement. If it will be an alternative to the non-compliant form, the new, accessible form should be provided alongside it for those with accessibility requirements. For example, both should be downloadable from the same page.

Fixing third-party forms

Third-party forms include those that have been created by someone outside the University, and those that are Leeds forms but have been built by or with a third-party platform.

In these cases, the accessibility of the form won't be completely under your control. If you think the form might not be accessible, ask the creator or platform provider to provide evidence that it is. If they can't, consider if you can use one of the accessible methods outlined on this page. If that's not possible, you will need to create an accessible alternative option. This may include creating a plain, linear, text-only Word version of the form that you'll actively make available.

Creating an accessible form in Microsoft Forms

We recommend using Microsoft Forms to easily build accessible forms. You can use Microsoft Forms to create surveys, quizzes, questionnaires, registration forms and more.

There are separate how-to sections from Microsoft on quizzes and forms:

Key points

  • Remember to keep to the main principles of accessibility, such as avoiding sensory-only descriptions and explaining acronyms.
  • Microsoft offers some colour options so you can style your form. The pre-set colours typically have good contrast but it is possible to use a custom colour. Whatever you choose ensure there's good colour contrast between your text and buttons and the background colour.
  • Make sure sections and questions are clear, concise and in a logical order.
  • Provide instructions so that people know how to complete the form and what to do if something doesn't work or they get stuck.
  • Where multiple choice sections occur, provide an explanation such as 'please select all answers that are applicable'. Make sure people are clear what they have to do.
  • For basic information, use prompt terminators and clear, unambiguous questions. For example, 'Name' and 'Age', not 'What is your name?' and 'Please tell us your age'.

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Creating an accessible form in Microsoft Word

If you are unable to produce a form using Microsoft Forms then the next option should be a simple Word document. Remember to follow our advice on creating accessible Word documents, as well as this specific guidance on forms.

Key points

  • The most reliably accessible Word form will be one that's simple, linear, and text-based. It won't have tables, checkboxes or interactivity.
  • Remember to keep to basic accessibility principles, such as clear heading structures and good colour contrast.
  • Keep it simple: if the page is overdesigned then it will be more complicated to fill out, especially for those using screen reading software.
  • Make sure sections and questions are clear, concise and in a logical order.
  • Provide instructions so that people know how to complete the form and what to do if something doesn't work or they get stuck.
  • Keep the layout consistent. For example, place a new question on a new line in every case.
  • Don’t use tables to structure the content or create boxes to fill out – use headings to create structure and a logical flow instead.
  • Only use protected forms if absolutely necessary.
  • Where multiple choice sections occur provide an explanation such as 'please select all answers that are applicable'. Make sure people are clear what they have to do.
  • For basic information, use clear, unambiguous prompts. For example, 'Name' and 'Age', not 'What is your name?' and 'Please tell us your age'.
  • Don’t use leader dots or underlines to indicate information entry. For example, Name: ................. . These dots may be read out by a screen reader and cause knock-on layout issues when text is input.
  • Don’t convey information by sensory information or formatting alone, such as by telling people to fill in the red or bold questions. Instead, use a text-based differentiator, such as marking questions as 'Required' or under a dedicated heading.

If you have a query that's not covered here, we recommend following the advice on forms given by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) (Word doc).

Further Information

For more information in-depth information please see Web Accessibility Initiative's advice on forms.

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