Rails form_with accessibility attributes and landmark role need version-specific diagnosis

When building accessible forms with Rails form_with, the helper generates semantic HTML5 markup and automatically applies ARIA attributes such as aria-required and aria-invalid when model validations are present. However, differences in default output across supported Rails versions create uncertainty for teams maintaining applications that span multiple releases.

In Rails 6, form_with omits the role="form" attribute, while Rails 7 includes it by default. This inconsistency can affect how assistive technologies expose the form as a landmark region. Validation errors rendered through Rails error helpers may also be wrapped in a div with the class field_with_errors, which screen readers may not announce without additional ARIA labeling.

Custom form templates or overridden helpers can further alter the default accessibility markup, making the final output difficult to predict without inspecting each form individually. Because these behaviors depend on both the Rails version and any custom view layer, a consistent accessibility strategy is not immediately clear.

Should accessibility attributes be added manually for Rails 6 forms to match Rails 7 defaults, or should custom form builders normalize output across versions? How can validation errors be reliably associated with their inputs for screen-reader announcement without relying on default helper markup? What verification approach confirms that form landmarks and error states remain accessible when templates override standard form_with output?