Forms, video and things that move

A cartoon character types on a laptop and a small bird flies out of the screen carrying a letter

Three checks in one lesson, because on most small sites each one is a 5 minute job.

Forms

Most SEND organisations use Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, Jotform or the form that came with their website platform. These are mostly accessible if you let them be. The question you type is the label. The description under it is the hint. The problems come from trying to make the form clever.

  • A visible label above every box that says what goes in it. Selecting the label should put the cursor in the box.
  • Hint text under the label, not inside the box. Text inside the box vanishes the moment someone starts typing.
  • Mark optional fields, not required ones. It makes you think about why you are asking.
  • Ask only for what you need. Every extra question loses a tired parent.
  • One column, top to bottom.
  • A verb on the button. "Send referral" or "Book a place", not "Submit".
  • An error message that says what to do, next to the box it is about. A thank you message that says what happens next.
  • A form that is a PDF to print.
  • Placeholder text instead of a label.
  • A CAPTCHA, the "prove you are not a robot" puzzle, unless spam is a real problem. It stops more parents than robots. If you need something, a simple question like "what is 2 plus 3" does the job.

Video

Captions are the whole job. YouTube makes automatic captions, and they are a start, not a finish. Open the captions editor, play the video, and fix the names and the SEND words. Automatic captions turn "EHCP" and "SENCO" into some strange things. If you have the script, upload it and YouTube will time it for you.

Put a transcript under the video as well. It helps deaf readers, people who cannot play sound where they are, and anyone searching. If what is on screen matters and nobody says it out loud, say it, or add a line of description. Add British Sign Language where you can.

An embedded YouTube or Vimeo video comes with its own play, pause and caption controls, which is what you want. Never set a video to play on its own when the page opens.

Things that move

Some people find any movement on a page distracting. For people with ADHD, or a brain injury, or vestibular problems, it can make the page unusable. For a few people, flashing can trigger a seizure, and children may not know they are at risk.

  • Turn off autoplay on the home page carousel, or replace it with one picture and a list. Nobody reads slide 3.
  • Give anything that moves for more than 5 seconds a pause or stop button.
  • Use a still image instead of a GIF on a loop. If it has to move, make it a video with controls.
  • Nothing flashes more than 3 times a second. Nothing, ever.

Check it

  1. Open your form. Select each label. Does the cursor jump into the box? Send the form empty. Does the error tell you what to do? Fill it in using only the Tab key and the keyboard.
  2. Play every video with the sound off. Can you follow it?
  3. Open your home page and watch it for 10 seconds without touching anything. Did anything move?

If your home page has a slideshow, find the autoplay setting in your theme and turn it off today. It is one tick box in most platforms, and it is the most common thing I see on SEND sites.

In the guidelines: 3.3.2 Labels or instructions (opens in a new tab) (A), 1.2.2 Captions (prerecorded) (opens in a new tab) (A), 2.2.2 Pause, stop, hide (opens in a new tab) (A), 2.3.1 Three flashes or below threshold (opens in a new tab) (A).

Next: Check your site in 15 minutes →

Discussion

Log in to join the discussion. Your comment will be checked before it appears publicly.