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Help links and contact information should appear in consistent locations across pages.
Why it matters: Consistent help location reduces cognitive load and helps users find assistance quickly.
If a Web page contains help mechanisms, they are in the same relative order on each Web page.
What This Means: This success criterion requires that help mechanisms (like help links, contact information, FAQ links, or support options) appear in the same relative order and location across all pages where they appear. This makes help easily findable and reduces cognitive load.
Why It's Important: Consistent help location helps users quickly find assistance when needed. When help mechanisms appear in different locations or orders on different pages, users must search for them each time, increasing cognitive load and frustration. This is especially important for users with cognitive disabilities or memory impairments who rely on consistent patterns to navigate.
Place help mechanisms in the same location (e.g., top navigation, footer) on all pages. Keep help mechanisms in the same relative order (e.g., always show Help before Contact, or maintain alphabetical order). Use consistent layout templates to ensure help appears in the same location. Include help mechanisms on all pages when possible, or at least ensure they appear in consistent locations when present.
This criterion ensures that users with cognitive disabilities can access and understand the content, improving their overall experience and ability to use the website effectively.
This criterion ensures that all users can access and understand the content, improving their overall experience and ability to use the website effectively.
This criterion ensures that users with memory impairments can access and understand the content, improving their overall experience and ability to use the website effectively.
Impact: When this criterion is properly implemented, it removes barriers for these user groups and creates a more inclusive web experience for everyone.
Help link appears in different locations on different pages, making it hard to find.
<!-- Page 1: Help in header -->
<header><a href="/help">Help</a></header>
<!-- Page 2: Help in footer -->
<footer><a href="/help">Help</a></footer>Help link always appears in the same location (e.g., top right) on all pages.
<!-- All pages: Help in same location -->
<header>
<nav>
<a href="/">Home</a>
<a href="/help">Help</a>
<a href="/contact">Contact</a>
</nav>
</header>This success criterion benefits the following user groups:
Tip: Use this checklist during development and testing to ensure all requirements for 3.2.6 Consistent Help are met. Check off items as you complete them.
To meet this success criterion, ensure the following requirements are met:
While meeting the minimum requirements ensures compliance, consider these enhancements for a better user experience:
Help only needs to be on some pages, not all.
While help doesn't need to be on every page, when it does appear, it must be in the same location. It's better practice to include help on all pages.
I can have different help mechanisms on different pages.
Help mechanisms should be consistent. If you have a help link on one page, use the same help link in the same location on all pages.
Help link in different locations on different pages.
Place help in the same location (e.g., top navigation, footer) on all pages. Use consistent layout templates.
Help mechanisms that appear in different orders on different pages.
Keep help mechanisms in the same relative order. For example, always show Help before Contact, or always in alphabetical order.
Help that's only available on some pages.
Include help mechanisms on all pages, or at least ensure they appear in consistent locations when present.
Note: These are official W3C resources for 3.2.6. For the most up-to-date information and detailed technical guidance, always refer to the official W3C documentation.
Implementing 3.2.6 Consistent Help correctly requires understanding your specific context. Code solutions vary significantly based on multiple factors:
HTML, React, Vue, Angular, PHP, Python, and other frameworks each have different patterns and best practices.
Server-side rendering, client-side rendering, static generation, and hybrid approaches require different solutions.
Your existing components, styling approach, and UI library influence how accessibility must be implemented.
Your specific user base, content type, and interaction patterns determine the most appropriate implementation.
We provide tailored implementation guidance by analyzing your specific technology stack, coding patterns, design system, and project requirements. Our team reviews your codebase and provides custom solutions that integrate seamlessly with your existing architecture.
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