General Manager
A service request form looks fine in Arabic and English. In the Arabic version, a tester submits it without a reference number. The field turns red, but the screen reader gives the tester no way to identify which field needs attention. The person has reached the form and still cannot complete the request.
I would ask the delivery team to demonstrate the error and recovery path in both languages before signing off. Here is a small acceptance test for a fictional request form. Use synthetic data and run it against the build that is actually proposed for release.
The form asks for a request reference and a short description. The reference uses the fictional format REQ-042. The tester should be able to leave the reference empty, discover why submission failed, correct it and get a confirmation. Run the sequence using a keyboard and then with a screen reader and browser combination that the project supports. Record the combination and version. Repeat in the other language.
| Action | Expected evidence | Example failure |
|---|---|---|
| Find the field | The control has a clear visible label and a meaningful accessible name. The required format is available before entry. | The example appears only as a placeholder and disappears when typing starts. |
| Submit with the reference missing | The error identifies the reference field and says what to enter. A keyboard or screen reader user can locate the affected field. | Only colour changes, or the generic message never identifies the field. |
| Enter REQ-042 and retry | The reference can be read, edited and copied correctly in Arabic layout as well as English. The description previously entered is still present in this test. | Direction handling makes the mixed text difficult to interpret, or correction wipes out the description. |
| Confirm the request | A confirmation and reference are perceivable. For an in-place status update, verify that assistive technology can announce it without moving focus. | The browser adds a visible success notice that is silent to the screen reader. |
Give the Arabic page the appropriate language and right-to-left base direction in markup. Check mixed Arabic text and Latin identifiers in the actual field, error and confirmation. Language determines how compatible assistive technology can pronounce content. Direction affects its visual ordering. Test that the focus sequence follows a meaningful order in both layouts, especially when columns are mirrored. Use a narrow viewport to see whether the error or confirmation gets clipped.
W3C WCAG 2.2 gives criteria for keyboard operation (2.1.1), focus order (2.4.3), page language (3.1.1), error identification (3.3.1), labels or instructions (3.3.2), and status messages where applicable (4.1.3). The Saudi Digital Government Authority also publishes web accessibility guidance for government websites based on WCAG 2.1. Record the version and level your project actually requires. This example covers a single user journey and a subset of checks.
A useful fictional ticket reads: Arabic version, candidate build B, keyboard and supported screen reader. Submit with the reference empty. Focus stays on the submit button and the only error indicator is a red border. Expected: a perceivable error identifies the reference field and the user can reach it to correct the value. The English version passed on the same configuration. Hold acceptance of this Arabic journey and retest both versions after the fix.
Record the actual observed behaviour, build, environment, user impact, owner and retest evidence. A visual screenshot is useful for the red border. Add a text note of what the screen reader did and where focus went. Include the correction and successful resubmission in the retest so the team sees the whole path.
For your next bilingual form, choose one consequential transaction and run the same invalid and valid inputs in both languages before expanding the test pack. Bring that evidence to the integration review. Altaius Systems Integration.
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