Accessible Forms Using the ID Attribute

Hi Hillary, I am looking for the code for a simple FORM element. I get conflicting results when I try to validate my form through LIFT and Bobby. LIFT shows it 508 compliant and Bobby shows it is not 508 compliant. Is there an example you could show me? This is the page in question: http://www.bdarling.com/survey.html

Thank You

Sharon Baldwin
sharon@bdarling.com

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ANSWER
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Hi Sharon,

Thanks for writing. Here's a simple tip to help your form become compliant.
An "id" is a unique identifier. Each time this attribute is used in a document it must have a different value.

So for Question 1 the code would change from this:

<FIELDSET>
<LEGEND>1. How would you best describe yourself?</LEGEND><br>
<LABEL for="WhoAreYou">Resident:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Resident" id="WhoAreYou">
<LABEL for="WhoAreYou">Businessperson:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Businessperson" id="WhoAreYou">
<LABEL for="WhoAreYou">Visitor:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Visitor" id="WhoAreYou">
<LABEL for="WhoAreYou">Employee:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Employee" id="WhoAreYou">
<LABEL for="WhoAreYou">Other:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Other" id="WhoAreYou">
</FIELDSET>

to this:

<FIELDSET>
<LEGEND>1. How would you best describe yourself?</LEGEND><br>
<LABEL for="Resident">Resident:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Resident" id="Resident">
<LABEL for="Businessperson">Businessperson:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Businessperson" id="Businessperson">
<LABEL for="Visitor">Visitor:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Visitor" id="Visitor">
<LABEL for="Employee">Employee:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Employee" id="Employee">
<LABEL for="Other">Other:</LABEL>
<input type="radio" name="WhoAreYou" value="Other" id="Other">
</FIELDSET>
Also, you don't need to add a LABEL attribute for the SUBMIT or RESET buttons, because screen readers read the text that's on the button.

Hope this helps!

 

Pitzer Agreemant to Make Web Sites Accessible to the Bind and Visually Impaired

Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today announced settlements with two major organizations that will make the web sites far more accessible to blind and visually impaired users.

In addition to the steps outline, Ramada.com and Priceline.com will pay the State of New York $40,000 and $37,500, respectively, as costs of the investigation. The Attorney General emphasized that once the companies were notified of the accessibility issues by his office, they worked cooperatively and creatively with his Internet Bureau to correct the issues.

Full release: http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2004/aug/aug19a_04.html