Online Education | Western Michigan University

Global Engagement | Western Michigan University

WMU News | Western Michigan University

Campus Maps | Western Michigan University

About WMU | Western Michigan University

Apply | Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University | Pursue your purpose

Academics | Western Michigan University

Military and Veterans Affairs | Western Michigan University

Contact Us | Western Michigan University

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 2024

November 2024

Western Michigan University

Title / URL	Issues
Online Education \| Western Michigan Universitywmich.edu/online	1
Global Engagement \| Western Michigan Universitywmich.edu/global	1
WMU News \| Western Michigan Universitywmich.edu/news	1
Campus Maps \| Western Michigan Universitywmich.edu/maps	1
About WMU \| Western Michigan Universitywmich.edu/about	1
Apply \| Western Michigan Universitywmich.edu/apply	1
Western Michigan University \| Pursue your purposewmich.edu/	1
Academics \| Western Michigan Universitywmich.edu/academics	1
Military and Veterans Affairs \| Western Michigan Universitywmich.edu/military	1
Contact Us \| Western Michigan Universitywmich.edu/contact	1

Ensure form controls have labels

Western Michigan University

Where this issue has occurred