Revised Recommendations: Web Contact Form Design for W3C

In 2001 I recommended to the W3C Accessibility Consortium to suggest including additional fields on web contact forms to help facilitate communication with deaf/hoh consumers. This recommendation was eventually published in a book - refer to this link for more information. http://home.comcast.net/~mooredlm/accessibility/published.htm

Since 2001, new technologies and ways of contacting and interacting with professionals and consumers have greatly changed, thus the original form design recommendation is due for an update.

While the need to update the form has been floating in the background for sometime, I recently received an email from a Web Site Manager from a Government web site in the Washington, D.C. area asking if the recommendations are still relevant and/or should be updated - a sign that the recommendation needs to be updated.

Hence the reason for this blog entry:
I have updated the suggested web contact form design, and would like input on the new form design, which contains updated ways on one can be contacted.

The redesigned form is available for your review and comments at:
http://home.comcast.net/~mooredlm/accessibility/revised_w3c_recommendation.html

The most recent form changes are

Removed Pager number and pin fields as numeric based pagers are nearly extinct and not as user friendly,

Greater emphasis on wireless / mobile device email addresses,

The inclusion of Videophone numbers,

Fax and TTY options should remain on the form for those older, or not yet utilizing modern communication mediums such as wireless/mobile devices and VP (video phones) such as the Sorenson VP-200, Purple P3, and ZVRS Z4.

If you have any comments, feedback and/or other suggestions, feel free to send me an email at mooredlm at gmail.com

After I receive a reasonable number of replies and comments, I will update the web form design recommendations, and re-submit to the W3C for their consideration.

On the flip-side, if you are involved in web development, design, communications or printed media for your organization/company, take a few moments to consider bringing up similar accessibility recommendations for your contact / help desk web forms.

I look forward to your feedback, suggestions and comments.


Regards,

- Donald
Prosumertech Blog
http://prosumertech.blogspot.com