On our current survey platform, every question type has been tested with assistive technology and independently certified against WCAG 2.2 Level AA by the Digital Accessibility Centre (DAC). You no longer need to avoid particular question types for accessibility reasons. Find out more in our Accessibility Statement.
Choosing the right question still matters. Good question choice reduces effort for your respondents and makes your survey easier for everyone to complete.
Which platform is your survey on?
Links containing /t/ run on our current platform, where every question type is accessible. Links containing /s/ run on our legacy platform, where some question types have limitations. See the legacy platform section below.
Question types on the current platform
All question types are accessible, including those with known limitations on the classic platform:
- Text questions: single text box, multiple text boxes, comment / essay box, email, number
- Choice questions: multiple choice (radio buttons), checkboxes, dropdown, searchable dropdown
- Rating questions: star rating, Likert, Net Promoter Score (NPS), customer satisfaction score, customer effort score
- Matrix questions: radio button, checkbox, text box and dropdown matrices, and semantic differential
- Slider, ranking, continuous sum, date and time, and file upload.
Question types on the classic platform (accessible theme)
If your survey runs on the classic platform, the following applies.
Accessible Question Types
- Single text box
- Comment / essay box
- Multiple textboxes
- Radio buttons (Horizontal or vertical)
- Checkboxes (Horizontal or vertical)
- Other option for radio buttons or checkboxes
- Dropdown multiple choice (only one answer)
- Matrix of choices (avoid using checkboxes - multiple answers per row)
- Customer effort score
- Customer satisfaction score
- Likert
- Net promoter score (NPS)
Partially Accessible Question Types
- Date (Note the calendar widget is not accessible but users can add a date manually)
- Time
- Date and time
Partially-Accessible Functionality
- Save and continue
- File upload
- Adding images of YouTube videos
Inaccessible question types to avoid on the classic platform
Do not use:
- Matrix of choices with Checkboxes
- Ranking
- Continuous sum
- Slider
- Semantic Differential.
All of these question types are fully accessible on our current platform. If your survey needs them, consider running it on the current platform instead.
Drafting accessible questions
Follow these suggestions to make your survey as accessible as possible. They apply on both platforms.
Enable question numbers
Keep question numbers on to enable respondents to keep track of questions.
Keep label text short
When appropriate, make the first word or words meaningful to the user.
Providing short labels should be balanced with tone of voice.
| Do |
Don't |
| First Name |
Your First Name |
| Last Name |
Your Last Name |
| Email |
Your Email |
| Phone Number |
Your Phone Number |
Figure 1: User details
Predefined options
Where possible use multiple choice to reduce amount of text entry needed.
Use plain language
- Use plain language.
- Explain any specialist terms.
Abbreviations
N/A is often used as an option. Not everyone knows what N/A stands for. For maximum accessibility, use the full word instead of the acronym or provide an explanation at the beginning of the survey.
Not applicable or No answer?
You may have to change the wording depending on the question.
Reduce data entry
Use single or multiple choice questions where you can. Text boxes require more effort from the user.
Multiple choice (Only one answer and multiple answers)
Use a vertical layout where appropriate.
Vertical layouts are easy to scan read especially for screen magnifier users.
Figure 2: Arrow indicates the "F pattern" used when a sighted user scans content.
Accessible likert scales
Don't hide instructions or key explanations in blocks of text. Chunk text and use bullet lists for easier scanning.
Example:
Do:
Select how much you agree with the following statements using this scale:
- 1 = do not agree at all
- 10 = completely agree.
Don’t:
Your feedback is important to us and will be used to improve our service to you and all our customers. On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 is do not agree and 10 is completely agree) how much do you agree with the following statements?
Matrix of Choices
Matrix questions are fully accessible on the current platform. They still ask a lot of your respondents, so use them with care.
Chunk statements into sections so users aren't overwhelmed. For example, use no more than 4 statements per matrix. Where a matrix isn't essential, single multiple choice questions are easier for everyone.
On the classic platform, matrix questions are only partially accessible: there are issues for screen reader users who use NVDA with the Chrome browser, and matrixes of checkboxes should be avoided entirely.