Library Home :: Nimitz Library :: USNA

Athletics :: Leaders to Serve the Nation :: USNA

Commandant Home :: Commandant of Midshipmen :: USNA

A-Z Index :: Leaders to Serve the Nation :: USNA

First time visit: View without clicking anything

Maps and Directions :: Leaders to Serve the Nation...

USNA :: United States Naval Academy

Academics Home :: Academics :: USNA

Museum Home :: Museum :: USNA

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

November 2025

October 2025

United States Naval Academy

	Title / URL	Issues
	Library Home :: Nimitz Library :: USNAwww.usna.edu/Library/	2
	Athletics :: Leaders to Serve the Nation :: USNAusna.edu/Athletics/index.php	2
	Commandant Home :: Commandant of Midshipmen :: USNAwww.usna.edu/Commandant/	1
	A-Z Index :: Leaders to Serve the Nation :: USNAwww.usna.edu/TOC/index.php	1
	First time visit: View without clicking anythingusna.edu/homepage.php	1
	Maps and Directions :: Leaders to Serve the Nation...www.usna.edu/Visit/Directions.php	1
	USNA :: United States Naval Academyusna.edu/homepage.php	1
	USNA :: United States Naval Academywww.usna.edu/homepage.php	1
	Academics Home :: Academics :: USNAwww.usna.edu/Academics/index.php	1
	Museum Home :: Museum :: USNAwww.usna.edu/Museum/index.php	1

Ensure form controls have labels

United States Naval Academy

Where this issue has occurred