Notifications provided - Provides notification of an error so users know that an error has occurred.
Barriers Encountered
- No error message
- Error message that is not accessible to assistive technology (e.g., screen reader or reading assistance software)
- Error message that is not visible (e.g., not in viewport)
- Error message that is not identifiable (e.g., not recognizable as an error message)
- Error message that is not legible (e.g., not distinguishable)
Common User Needs
- Error message: User needs an error message when an error occurs so they know something went wrong.
- Notification of changed values: User needs form to notify them when it changes values so they can review and verify accuracy of any changes to data.
Unique User Needs
- Visual notification: User needs a visual notification so they know something went wrong.
- Error message displays in viewport: User needs an error message that displays in the viewport so they can identify the error message and access the content with screen magnification.
- High-contrast error message: User needs a prominent high-contrast error message so they can identify the error message.
- Error message visually identifiable without symbols: User needs an error message that is identifiable without symbols so they can identify the error message.
- Error message visually identifiable without text: User needs an error message that is identifiable without text so they can identify the error message.
- Error message in consistent interface: User needs an error message with a consistent interface so they know they are interacting with the same digital product.
Notifications describe errors — Provides a clear message describing the error so users understand the cause of the error.
Barriers Encountered
- No description of cause of error
- Unhelpful description of cause of error error
- Error description that is not understandable (e.g., not clear)
Common User Needs
- Error message describes the error: User needs an error message describing the error so they know what went wrong.
Instructions provided to remedy errors — Provides instructions in response to an error so users know what steps to take to remedy the error.
Barriers Encountered
- No remedy instructions
- Unhelpful remedy instructions
- Remedy instructions that are not understandable (e.g., not clear)
Common User Needs
- Error message includes remedy instructions: User needs an error message describing the remedy so they know how to recover from the error.
- Error message with remedy instructions displays at source of error: User needs an error message that displays at the source of the error so they can access the remedy instructions while focused on the source of the error.
Unique User Needs
- Programmatically associated error message and source of error: User needs an error message that is programmatically associated with the source of the error so they can access the remedy instructions while focused on the source of the error.
- Reassuring remedy instructions: User needs reassuring remedy instructions so they can have confidence they can resolve the error.
Timely and targeted guidance — Provides notification when the error occurs and identifies the source of error so users can readily refocus and remedy the error.
Barriers Encountered
- Error source is not visually identified
- Error source is not programmatically identified
- Error source is not programmatically associated with error message
- Error source is not accessible to assistive technology
- Error source indicator is not identifiable (e.g., not recognizable as an error source indicator)
- Error source indicator is not legible (e.g., not distinguishable)
- Error notification does not occur at time of error
- Time-limited error notification limits access to instructions
- Error source visual label is not the same as its programmatic label, making it difficult to move focus using speech
- Error message doesn’t match source: Error message provides a different, ambiguous, or incomplete field label than the searchable visual label, making it difficult to search for the term in the form.
Common User Needs
- Visual error source indicator: User needs a visual indicator of the error source so they know which component is the source of the error.
- Error message provided when error occurs: User needs an error message that is provided when the error occurs so they can readily refocus on the source of the error.
- Error message persists: User needs an error message that persists until the error is remedied so they can access the remedy instructions for as long as it takes to address the error.
- Error message linked to error source: User needs an error message that is linked to the error source so they can readily move focus to invalid inputs to correct them.
- Error message focused on reload: User needs an error message that is focused when the page reloads so they know there was an error
Unique User Needs
- High-contrast error source indicator: User needs a prominent high-contrast error source indicator so they can identify the error source.
Functional Needs
- Essential
- Sensory - Vision and Visual
- Sensory - Sensory Intersections
- Cognitive - Attention
- Cognitive - Language and Literacy
- Cognitive - Learning
- Cognitive - Memory
- Cognitive - Executive
- Cognitive - Mental Health
- Cognitive - Cognitive and Sensory Intersections
- Independence
- Physical - Mobility
- Physical - Motor
- Physical & Sensory Intersections