WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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Re: Optimum position of asterixes on web forms

for

From: Steve Green
Date: Oct 9, 2008 9:20AM

Ideally the <label> element that contains the text label for the form
control should also contain a means of specifying that the field is
mandatory. This ensures that screen reader users are aware that the field is
mandatory. Any text that is outside the <label> element will not be read
when in 'forms mode'.

This will generally mean the mandatory indication will be somewhere between
the text label and the form control.

Steve





-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Gareth Dart
Sent: 09 October 2008 16:08
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: [WebAIM] Optimum position of asterixes on web forms

Hello all,

Not so much an accessibility issue per-se but an important usability issue.

Users without significant visual impairment derive a useful visual cue from
the inclusion of an asterix next to required fields on a form. We currently
have a minor interdepartmental ding-dong going about exactly where this
asterix should be placed.

I have always put this to the right of the field control - and have been
doing this for so long I've ceased (until now) to question this placement.
Another colleague (from a print background) has suggested that it should be
placed to the left of the label, citing user's left-to-right reading habits
as a rationale - the users see the asterix right off and therefore knows the
field is mandatory. Yet another person has suggested to the right of the
label, between the label and the field control (the form is styled to float
labels next to their associated form controls).

A google search suggests there seems to be no consensus view. Does anyone
have any thoughts>

Cheers,

G


Gareth Dart
Web Developer
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
95 Promenade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1HZ T 01242 211128 F 01242
211122 W www.hesa.ac.uk <http://www.hesa.ac.uk/>;