Accessible Court Forms: Mobile-First Design Patterns

Court forms present a specific accessibility challenge. This article summarizes mobile-first patterns from observed 2024 deployments.

Constraints

Pro se litigants typically:

• Use phones (limited screen real estate)
• Type slowly (often one-thumb typing)
• Have intermittent connectivity
• Are in stressful situations

Mobile-first patterns

1. Single field per screen
2. Plain language labels
3. Save and resume from any device
4. Inline help
5. Validation as you go
6. Mobile-review-then-print

Accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA minimum)

• Color contrast 4.5:1
• Font size and scaling
• Keyboard-only navigation
• Screen reader support
• Form labels (not just placeholder)
• Touch target sizes (44x44 minimum)

Eval framework

• Completion rate
• Time-to-complete
• Error rate by field
• Annual accessibility audit

Acknowledgments

This article summarizes observed patterns from 2024 deployments.

Dillon Deutsch has worked with state courts on accessible form design. https://courtgpt.ai