Events -

BCOP Privacy Notice: How We Protect Your Data

Latest News and Updates from BCOP Community

Support BCOP and Enrich Lives in Birmingham

BCOP History and Heritage in Birmingham

BCOP Housing for Older People in Birmingham

People using screen readers are not able to see the layout of a form. To make forms
accessible, they must define explicit text labels for each form control. 

Usually the best solution is to use a `<label>` element. The label may be linked to 
by the form control:

```html
<label for="name">Full name</label>
<input type="name" id="name">
```

or the `<label>` can be wrapped around the form control:

```html
<label>
    Full name <input type="name">
</label>
```

Buttons are different, as their labels are specified by the code for the button, e.g.

```html
<input type="submit" value="Send message">
<button>Send message</button>
```

Alternatively ARIA attributes, such as `aria-label` may be used, but this information
will not be conveyed to visual users. For more information, see [W3C's guide to labeling controls](https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/forms/labels/).

Hidden input fields (`<input type="hidden">`) do not require labels.
Note that the `placeholder` attribute 
[should not be used as an alternative to a label](https://www.w3.org/TR/html/sec-forms.html#the-placeholder-attribute),
nor should the `title` attribute.

## Custom roles

Note that this check considers the underlying accessible role of an element, which can be 
different from the tag itself.

For example, this `<div>` has a `role` of `button`, and so is expected to have a label, like
a button would.

```html
<div role="button"></div>
```

form-control-labels

December 2025

November 2025

Broadening Choices for Older People

	Title / URL	Issues
	Events -bcop.org.uk/bcop-events/month/2025-11/	2
	Events -bcop.org.uk/bcop-events/month/2025-09/	2
	Events -bcop.org.uk/bcop-events/list/	2
	Events -bcop.org.uk/bcop-events/	2
	Events -bcop.org.uk/bcop-events/month/	2
	BCOP Privacy Notice: How We Protect Your Databcop.org.uk/about-us/privacy-policy/	1
	Latest News and Updates from BCOP Communitybcop.org.uk/about-us/news/	1
	Support BCOP and Enrich Lives in Birminghambcop.org.uk/support-bcop/	1
	BCOP History and Heritage in Birminghambcop.org.uk/about-us/bcop-history/	1
	BCOP Housing for Older People in Birminghambcop.org.uk/housing/	1

Ensure form controls have labels

Broadening Choices for Older People

Where this issue has occurred