How to Make PDF Form Fields Accessible
Standards this affects
- PDF/UA — ISO 14289-1, clause 7.18.1 (interactive forms)
- WCAG 2.1 — 1.3.1 (A), 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (A), 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (A)
- Section 508 — 502 / WCAG 2.0 AA by reference
What this means
Each interactive form field (text box, checkbox, radio button, dropdown) needs an accessible name — in Acrobat this is the field's Tooltip — plus a logical tab order and proper tagging. The accessible name tells the user what to enter.
Why it matters
A screen reader announces a form field by its accessible name. Without one, the user hears "edit text, blank" and has no idea whether to type their name, email, or date of birth. Inaccessible forms are a frequent source of complaints because they block users from completing required tasks (applications, benefits, registrations).
How the checker flags it
- The checker reports form fields without names/descriptions or without tagging.
- Acrobat's checker flags "Forms - Field descriptions".
- A screen reader announces fields as unlabeled ("edit text").
How to fix it
- 1
Add a tooltip (accessible name) to each field
In Acrobat Pro, use Prepare Forms, then open each field's Properties → General tab and fill in the Tooltip with the field's label text (e.g. "Email address"). This becomes the accessible name.
- 2
Associate visible labels
Make sure the visible on-page label text matches the tooltip and sits logically next to its field. For required fields, indicate that in the tooltip too ("Email address, required").
- 3
Set a logical tab order
In the Fields panel, set tab order to follow the visual/logical order (left-to-right, top-to-bottom) so keyboard users move through the form sensibly.
- 4
Tag the form and re-check
Ensure form fields are included in the tag tree (Form tags), then re-run the checker and test the form with a keyboard and screen reader.
Check your PDF for this issue
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the "tooltip" actually used for?
- In a tagged Acrobat form, the field Tooltip is exposed to assistive technology as the field's accessible name. It's the primary way a screen reader knows what each field is for, so every field needs one.