Hi Pamela,

You’re spot on: matrix carousel does look cleaner and may feel smoother to some users, but it’s still far from perfect on the accessibility front. From what I’ve seen (and tested), screen reader support can be inconsistent, especially depending on the device/browser combination. The keyboard navigation is better than traditional matrix, but still not fully intuitive.

If accessibility is a core concern — especially WCAG 2.2AA compliance — breaking the matrix into single-select multiple choice questions (one per row/item) tends to be the safest route. Yes, it adds to survey length, but paired with good sectioning and progress indicators, I’ve found completion rates don’t necessarily take a hit. Also, it improves mobile usability quite a bit.

That said, if you’re locked into matrix for scale consistency or analysis reasons, then carousel is at least a better compromise than standard matrix.

— Rochak

​@rochak_khandelwal , thank you!  What’s your opinion on the accessibility of using the side by side question type as a work around?

​@pamelalbeck Honestly, side-by-side feels like a decent visual workaround, but accessibility-wise it still has a lot of the same issues as regular matrix questions. Screen readers don’t always handle them well — especially when there are multiple columns — and keyboard navigation can get messy fast.

If accessibility is a serious priority (which it sounds like it is in your case), I’d still lean toward breaking the items out into individual multiple choice or dropdown questions. It takes up more space, sure, but it’s just way easier to navigate for users relying on assistive tech.

I’ve had to make that trade-off a few times, and in most cases, it’s worth the extra scroll to make sure everyone can complete the survey smoothly.

Hope that helps!

​@rochak_khandelwal Excellent points, really appreciate your insight on this.