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Accessibility

FormVox includes built-in accessibility features to make forms usable for everyone, including users with visual impairments or motor disabilities.

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Each question on a public form has a speaker icon next to the question label. When clicked, the browser reads the question aloud using the Web Speech API.

What gets read

  • The question text
  • The question description (if present)
  • Answer options for choice, multiple choice, and dropdown questions
  • Scale range and labels for linear scale questions
  • Star count for rating questions
  • Row and column labels for matrix questions

How to use

  1. Click the speaker icon next to any question
  2. The browser reads the question and its options aloud
  3. Click the icon again to stop reading
  4. The language is automatically detected from your Nextcloud language setting

Note: TTS requires a modern browser with Web Speech API support (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). The speaker icon only appears when TTS is supported.

Screen Reader Support

All question types include proper ARIA attributes for screen readers like VoiceOver (macOS/iOS), NVDA (Windows), or TalkBack (Android):

  • Questions are announced with their label and required status
  • Validation errors are automatically announced when they appear
  • Page changes and submission status are announced
  • Matrix questions use proper table semantics

Supported Screen Readers

Screen Reader Platform Supported
VoiceOver macOS / iOS Yes
NVDA Windows Yes
JAWS Windows Yes
TalkBack Android Yes

Keyboard Navigation

Forms can be fully navigated using only the keyboard:

Key Action
Tab Move between questions and form controls
Arrow keys Navigate between scale values and star rating options
Home / End Jump to first or last option in scale/rating
Enter / Space Activate buttons and the file upload zone

Press Tab at the top of the form to reveal a "Skip to form questions" link. Press Enter to bypass header content and jump directly to the questions.

Focus Management

FormVox automatically manages focus to help keyboard and screen reader users:

  • Validation errors - Focus moves to the first question with an error, and the error message is announced by screen readers
  • Page navigation - Focus moves to the first question on the new page
  • Form submission - Focus moves to the thank-you message so screen readers announce it

ARIA Attributes

The following ARIA attributes are used throughout the form response interface:

Attribute Purpose
role="group" Groups each question with its label and input
role="radiogroup" Identifies single choice, scale, and rating as radio groups
role="alert" Announces validation errors immediately
aria-required Indicates required questions
aria-invalid Indicates fields with validation errors
aria-describedby Links inputs to their description and error messages
aria-live="polite" Announces page changes and submission status
aria-live="assertive" Announces form errors immediately
aria-label Provides labels for icon buttons (speaker, file remove)

Browser Compatibility

Feature Chrome Firefox Safari Edge
ARIA / Screen Reader Yes Yes Yes Yes
Keyboard Navigation Yes Yes Yes Yes
Text-to-Speech Yes Yes Yes Yes

Next Steps