Screen Reader Accessible Forms

Marketing & Content Hub Lead Capture Tools
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Hi,

We are having a problem with a form created that contains some free text fields, some single checkboxes, some multiple checkboxes and some radio buttons. The form is intended to be filled out by blind users, or users working with screen readers such as JAWS and NVDA.

We are having a problem for a couple of reasons:

  • the form loses focus when we get to the checkboxes or radio buttons and the screen reader user won’t know there are more questions
  • if we assist the user manually the multiple checkbox components cannot be used because the screen reader doesn’t feedback whether the boxes have been checked or not. Single checkboxes are fine.
  • when we replaced the multiple checkboxes with a free text field instead the radio buttons that were accessible on Friday, are now no accessible today! The only difference being that this type of component (to select something) is now fusrther down the form because we replaced the previous ones with free text fields. It’s as if there is something we can’t see getting in the way once we hit these types of fields.

Does anyone have any experience of working with accessibility for hubspot forms? This is causing a real problem for us and we’re having to look at alternatives like MS Forms or Google Forms so we can send something out that will be usable for a screen reader.

Thanks for any advice.

Paul.

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Hey @paulfilkin, thank you for posting in our Community!

Thank you for reaching out about the accessibility challenges you’re encountering with your form. Ensuring that forms are accessible to users with disabilities, including those who rely on screen readers, is crucial for creating an inclusive experience. One solution could be to implement proper focus management techniques using for example JavaScript to ensure that the screen reader announces the presence of these interactive elements and maintains focus appropriately. Ensuring proper labeling and instructions can enhance the usability of these components.

I would recommend connecting with HubSpot Technical Support, as Support is included in your subscription, and they will be able to provide real time assistance for this matter, including hopping on a screenshare if necessary.

Kindly,

Pam

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Thanks @PamCotton

Your reply was helpful as we were able to put our own web devs on the case and they should fix this today.

Thank you.

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@PamCotton

Seems we got to the bottom of the problem. It seems that Hubspot doesn’t actually insert the aria classes when they output an embed compared to a preview link. As a result the forms are innaccessible.

Surprisingly this is the current position:

We appreciate your commitment to accessibility. However at the current moment, HubSpot doesn’t currently meet WCAG standards. We understand that these are commonly accepted standards for website accessibility but, at least for now, they are voluntary standards and compliance is not a legal requirement for HubSpot. Hence, even as we’re trying our best to look into this to see what can be done,
please note that we do not have fixed timelines on when the improvements will be implemented.

Not really good enough in my opinion and they will become a problem very soon… in Europe anyway. Good for any organisation taking accessibility seriously to note this if they are looking for accessible solutions and considering Hubspot.

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@PamCotton

Almost fixed. It seems that Hubspot don’t actually insert the aria classes when they output an embed compared to a preview link. So some components, like multiselect checkboxes and radio buttons are unsuable for anyone working with a screen reader.

Surprisingly this is the response from support:

We appreciate your commitment to accessibility. However at the current moment, HubSpot doesn’t currently meet WCAG standards. We understand that these are commonly accepted standards for website accessibility but, at least for now, they are voluntary standards and compliance is not a legal requirement for HubSpot. Hence, even as we’re trying our best to look into this to see what can be done, please note that we do not have fixed timelines on when the improvements will be implemented.

Not really good enough and I expect this will become a problem soon for anyone working in Europe anyway. Something to note if you’re considering Hubspot and you need an accessible product.

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Hi @paulfilkin

Per the last reply on this thread it appears a fix may have been implemented. Do you know of next steps on how to resolve (basically a checkbox lacks focus indicator on focus on a Hubspot form we are using).

-Brant