A Framework to Improve Web Form Accessibility for the Visually Impaired

Abstract

Due to the growth in the number of Internet users and the services provided by websites, making websites accessible to everyone has become necessary. Web forms play a crucial role in collecting information from users to provide services. Despite the increasing number of visually impaired users, with the World Health Organization reporting at least two billion people globally with vision impairments, website developers still fail to adhere to web accessibility guidelines, making it difficult, if not impossible, for visually impaired individuals to easily fill out web forms. This study introduces the Web Form Accessibility Framework for the Visually Impaired (WAFI). By using WAFI, web form developers can create more accessible web forms for visually impaired users, enabling them to fill out forms faster, easier, and with fewer errors. WAFI is designed with components that encompass all necessary aspects for building an accessible web form. The framework was thoroughly evaluated by experts and tested with a sample of visually impaired users. They were asked to fill out two web forms: AWF, which followed WAFI, and IWF, which did not. The results clearly demonstrate that AWF was submitted faster and with fewer errors than IWF. Based on the evaluation and testing outcomes, the framework underwent further refinement, leading to the production of the final framework. It is hoped that WAFI will significantly improve web form development and enhance the overall experience of visually impaired users.

Keywords

• Accessibility
• framework
• screen reader
• visually impaired
• web form