cds-snc / cds-snc/platform-forms-client

"Invalid data" repeatedly announced when inputting answers

Open
#7,899 0 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
a11y bug end users
Dominant language
TypeScript
Stars
46
Forks
16
Avg merge
1d 8h
Merged PRs (30d)
85

Description

## Context

From client: results of their form in fable testing:

> Ran 20 accessibility tests using Fable (10 in English and 10 in French). The accessibility tests mainly focused on screen reader compatibility, with a couple tests using screen magnification tools.

https://cds-snc.freshdesk.com/a/tickets/30088
- “Invalid data” being repeatedly announced while navigating options or typing in fields
- This can be confusing and frustrating for screen-reader users.

> "When I type in the form field, Voiceover keeps saying invalid data as I type each character, which is very annoying. To select the language options, Voiceover also only read invalid data if I tried to move by next element, I had to explore the screen by touch to find the options."

## Findings

**4 issues related to “invalid data” being announced as users navigate through form options or type in form fields**

(testers used VoiceOver with Safari or NVDA with Firefox or NVDA with Chrome)

- “The error is not announced once the box is checked, but returns if a box is again set to be unchecked. This would suggest to me, wrongly, that all the boxes simply have to be checked.”
- “When I type in the form field, Voiceover keeps saying invalid data as I type each character, which is very annoying.”

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by reproducing the form behavior with VoiceOver and Safari or NVDA with Firefox/Chrome while typing in fields and navigating or unchecking options. Done means users are not repeatedly told “invalid data” during input or navigation, while genuine validation feedback remains available when appropriate.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
nextjs, typescript
Domain
accessibility, frontend
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
45/100

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.