Help guides › Accessibility basics
Keyboard and Form Accessibility for Shop Websites
Some visitors don't use a mouse or touch screen. They navigate with a keyboard, a switch device or voice control, often with a screen reader. If your booking form can't be filled in without a mouse, those customers can't book.
General information, not legal advice. Automated tools, including ours, find only some issues.
The keyboard test (5 minutes)
- On a computer, open your homepage and press Tab repeatedly (Shift+Tab goes back).
- Can you reach every menu item, link, button and form field?
- Can you see where you are? There should be a visible outline or highlight (the "focus indicator").
- Does the order make sense, top to bottom?
- Can you open menus, pick dates and submit forms with Enter or Space?
- Do pop-ups (chat, coupons) trap you, or can you close them with the keyboard?
Forms that work for everyone
- Every field needs a visible label ("Phone number", "Vehicle year, make and model"). Placeholder text inside the box disappears when you type, so it isn't a substitute. The W3C forms tutorial shows how to connect labels to fields.
- Mark required fields in words, not only with color or an asterisk.
- Clear error messages that say what's wrong and how to fix it, next to the field: "Please enter a 10-digit phone number."
- Group related choices (like service type checkboxes) with a heading.
- Avoid hard CAPTCHAs if possible; they block real customers too.
- Buttons with real text, like "Request appointment", not just an arrow icon.
Common problems on shop sites
- Menus that open only on mouse hover.
- Date pickers that can't be used with a keyboard.
- Icon-only buttons (phone, map) with no text label.
- Focus outlines removed for "looks".
See also online booking and estimate forms.
Check your own site in seconds
Our free website check for auto repair shops looks at one page for broken links, Google basics, phone setup, HTTPS, image descriptions and business details for Google, and explains what it finds in plain English.
Official sources
- W3C WAI: Forms tutorial
- W3C WAI: Keyboard compatibility (perspective video)
- W3C WAI: Developing for web accessibility
- W3C WAI: Easy Checks, a first review of web accessibility
Related guides
- Website Accessibility Basics for Small Auto Repair Shops
- Online Booking and Estimate Request Forms for Repair Shops
- Readable Text and Color Contrast on Your Shop Website
General information for shop owners, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 2026.