Making a Web Form Accessible from Pluralsight

Web accessibility is more straightforward than you'd think. This course starts with an inaccessible web form and steps through each of the changes necessary to make it accessible, including an introduction to testing with free screen reader software.

Web accessibility can seem like a daunting topic, but it's actually fairly simple to make improvements and meet the guidelines with some small changes to your HTML and CSS. In this course, Making a Web Form Accessible, you'll be starting with a fully-functional, but inaccessible web form for booking a room at a hotel. You'll walk through the minor changes required to make it fully accessible. You don't need to have any prior experience of making a website accessible, just a good understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/jQuery and you're ready to go. At each step, you'll be shown what the issue is, a straightforward way of resolving it, and the improved outcome. Never used a screen reader before? You'll see how to get started with the free NVDA screen reader to see your site from a different perspective. You'll also learn about WAI-ARIA (a specific kind of HTML) and how to fix the form validation. By the end of this course, you'll know how to create a web form that is vastly more usable for everyone, and still just as stylish as when you started.

What's inside

Syllabus

Getting Started with Keyboard Accessibility

Improving Our Form for Screen Reader Users

Using WAI-ARIA to Provide More Context

Fixing the Form Validation

Adding Some Final Improvements

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Focuses on creating accessible forms, an essential skill for web developers

Tailored toward learners with a foundation in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

Practical approach with hands-on improvements to an actual web form

Introduces essential accessibility tools like screen readers

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Making a Web Form Accessible with these activities:

Review HTML, CSS, and Javascript/jQuery

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Making a web form accessible will be much easier if you have good working knowledge of the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/jQuery.

Browse courses on HTML

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Review some code on W3Schools to get a refresher.
Try rebuilding a simple website to test your skills.

Create a cheat sheet of the key points.

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A cheat sheet will help you to quickly review the key points of the course, so you can easily reference them.

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Review the course material.
Identify the most important key points and terms.
Create a cheat sheet.

Attend a Pluralsight live event or join a study group for this class.

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Learning from and interacting with other people can be a great way to retain information. Asking questions and answering other people's question will help to reinforce the material covered in the course.

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Do some research to find a Pluralsight live event or online study group.
Work with the group to identify a schedule and course outline.
Attend your first meeting.

Four other activities

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Volunteer to help out at a local web development or accessibility meet up.

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Volunteering can help you connect with other people in the field who can help you learn and grow.

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Research local web development or accessibility meet ups.
Contact the organizers of the meet up to ask about volunteer opportunities.
Show up to the meet up and volunteer to help out.

Create a screen reader testing plan.

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Creating a plan for testing your website with a screen reader will help you avoid any gaps in your accessibility fixes.

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Review your website to find all of the forms.
Develop a test plan that outlines the steps involved in testing each form.
Test your website with the screen reader, using your plan as a guide.

Do practice exercises for each topic in this course using the NVDA screen reader.

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The most effective way to get good at something is to keep doing it. Practice using the NVDA screen reader to familiarize yourself with it and to improve your chances of catching accessibility issues in your code.

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Find a website that you're familiar with.
Use the NVDA screen reader to navigate the website.
Make a list of any accessibility issues that you find.
Use your development tools to fix the accessibility issues that you found.
Test your changes using the NVDA screen reader.

Participate in a web accessibility hackathon.

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This will be a challenging but rewarding experience that will help you to improve your skills.

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Find a web accessibility hackathon to participate in.
Form a team or work individually.
Develop a solution to an accessibility problem.
Submit your solution to the hackathon.

Career center

Learners who complete Making a Web Form Accessible will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Web Accessibility Specialist

Web Accessibility Specialists ensure websites and other digital media are accessible to users with disabilities. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” can help build a foundation for this role by teaching how to identify accessibility issues and make necessary improvements to web forms. Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/jQuery is beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Accessibility Specialist

Web Developer

Web Developers build and maintain websites and other web-based applications. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” can help build a foundation for this role by teaching the importance of accessibility and how to implement inclusive design practices. Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/jQuery is beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer

Front-End Developer

Front-End Developers focus on the design and implementation of the user interface for websites and other web-based applications. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” can help build a foundation for this role by teaching the importance of accessibility and how to implement inclusive design practices. Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/jQuery is beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

See salaries and explore the career path for Front-End Developer

User Experience (UX) Designer

User Experience (UX) Designers focus on creating user-centered designs for websites and other digital products. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” can help build a foundation for this role by teaching the importance of accessibility and how to implement inclusive design practices. Knowledge of HTML and CSS is beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience (UX) Designer

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software systems. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in web development or user experience design. Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript/jQuery may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Instructional Designer

Instructional Designers create and develop educational materials and experiences. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in online learning or accessibility. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

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Technical Writer

Technical Writers create and develop documentation for software, hardware, and other technical products. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in web accessibility or user experience documentation. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

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Information Architect

Information Architects design and organize the structure and navigation of websites and other digital products. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in accessibility or user experience design. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

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User Researcher

User Researchers conduct research to understand the needs and behaviors of users. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in accessibility or user experience research. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

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Content Strategist

Content Strategists plan and manage content for websites, social media, and other digital platforms. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in accessibility or user experience content. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

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Sales Manager

Sales Managers plan and execute sales strategies. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in sales for web-based products or accessibility. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

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Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for the planning, development, and marketing of products. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in product management for web-based products or accessibility. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

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Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers plan and execute marketing campaigns. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in marketing for web-based products or accessibility. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

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Project Manager

Project Managers plan and execute projects. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in project management for web development or accessibility projects. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

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Business Analyst

Business Analysts analyze and improve business processes and systems. The course, “Making a Web Form Accessible,” may be useful for those interested in specializing in business analysis for web-based systems or accessibility. Knowledge of HTML and CSS may be beneficial for this role, which this course will provide.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst