Butler University

About Butler | No. 1 Regional University in the Midwest

MFA in Creative Writing | Butler University

Resources | Butler University

Community Standards | Butler University

Master of Professional Accounting | Butler University

MA in Musicology | Butler University

Audit for Enrichment | Butler University

First time visit: View without clicking anything

Visit | On-Campus Visits & Virtual Tours

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

June 2025

May 2025

Title / URL	Issues
Butler Universitywww.butler.edu/	1
About Butler \| No. 1 Regional University in the Midwestwww.butler.edu/about-butler/	1
MFA in Creative Writing \| Butler Universitywww.butler.edu/arts-sciences/master-fine-arts/	1
Resources \| Butler Universitywww.butler.edu/bias/resources/	1
Community Standards \| Butler Universitywww.butler.edu/bias/community-standards/	1
Master of Professional Accounting \| Butler Universitywww.butler.edu/lacy-business/master-accounting/	1
MA in Musicology \| Butler Universitywww.butler.edu/jordan-arts/undergraduate-programs/music/graduate-studies/ma-in-musicology/	1
Audit for Enrichment \| Butler Universitywww.butler.edu/registrar/audit/	1
First time visit: View without clicking anythingbutler.edu/	1
Visit \| On-Campus Visits & Virtual Tourswww.butler.edu/admission-aid/visit/	1

Ensure form controls have labels

Butler University

Where this issue has occurred