Identify invalid fields with more than a red border

What to change

Ask for a readable error explanation beside each affected question and a state that assistive technology can identify.

A worked example

Illustrative example

An email field shows a short correction instruction alongside its border treatment, while the rest of the correctly completed form remains unchanged.

How to check the result

Accept when visitors can locate, understand and resolve each error without interpreting colour, and corrected fields no longer announce an error.

A mistake to avoid

A warning icon helps only when its meaning is clear and the actual correction remains available in text.

Your action checklist

Use these checks to prepare a discussion with your team or supplier. Tick a check when you have recorded the decision or evidence, rather than when a feature has simply been promised.

Decisions to recordCause errors in a text field, a checkbox group and a dropdown. Check each has an explanation connected to that question rather than a colour change alone.Inspect the form in a monochrome view or with a colleague who does not rely on colour distinctions. Determine whether failed fields remain obvious.Have the supplier demonstrate how a screen reader identifies an invalid field and its explanation. Correct the answer and confirm the error state clears.

Evidence, open questions and decisionsNext action and responsible role

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