# Survey Accessibility Checklist

Practical checks for making sure a survey can be completed by people using a keyboard, a screen reader, zoom, or other assistive technology.

## Keyboard and focus

- [ ] Every question, button, and link can be reached and activated using Tab / Shift+Tab alone
- [ ] The current focused element has a visible outline or highlight
- [ ] Focus order follows the visual reading order of the page
- [ ] No control requires a mouse-only interaction (drag-only ranking, hover-only reveals)

## Labels and structure

- [ ] Every question has a real, programmatically associated label - not just placeholder text
- [ ] Required questions are marked in a way a screen reader announces, not just with color
- [ ] Headings are used in a logical order (page title, then section headings) rather than for styling alone
- [ ] Icon-only buttons have an accessible name (aria-label or equivalent)

## Errors and validation

- [ ] Validation errors are announced, not shown only as a color change
- [ ] Error text explains what to fix, not just that something is wrong
- [ ] Respondents can find and correct an error without losing already-entered answers

## Visual design

- [ ] Text has at least 4.5:1 contrast against its background (3:1 for large text)
- [ ] The survey remains usable at 200% browser zoom without horizontal scrolling
- [ ] Color is never the only way information is conveyed (e.g. required-field asterisk plus text, not red border alone)
- [ ] Animations and auto-advancing questions can be paused or disabled

## Language and content

- [ ] Instructions are written in plain language
- [ ] Abbreviations are spelled out on first use
- [ ] Time limits, if any, are disclosed before the respondent starts
- [ ] Translations (if the survey is multilingual) preserve the same question structure and logic

## Testing

- [ ] The survey has been completed start-to-finish using only a keyboard
- [ ] The survey has been tested with a screen reader (NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver) at least once
- [ ] Mobile completion has been tested with the device's built-in screen reader or magnifier

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Published by Sierratec Survey. Adapt freely for your own workspace and studies.