Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.5 [Multiple Ways]
2.4.5 More than one way is available to locate [begin add]a Web page [end add] [begin delete]content[end delete] within a set of Web pages where content is not the result of, or a step in, a process. [2229] (Level AA)
Intent of this Success Criterion
The intent of this success criterion is to make it possible for users to locate content in a manner that best meets their needs. Users may find one technique easier or more comprehensible to use than another.
Specific Benefits of Success Criterion 2.4.5:
Providing an opportunity to navigate sites in more than one manner can help people find information faster. Users with visual impairments may find it easier to navigate to the correct part of the site by using a search, rather than scrolling through a large navigation bar using a screen magnifier or screen reader. A person with cognitive disabilities may prefer a table of contents or site map that provides an overview of the site rather than reading and traversing through several Web pages. Some users may prefer to explore the site in a sequential manner, moving from Web page to Web page in order to best understand the concepts and layout.
Individuals with cognitive limitations may find it easier to use search features than to use a hierarchical navigation scheme that be difficult to understand.
Examples of Success Criterion 2.4.5
A search mechanism.
A large food processing company provides a site containing recipes created using its products. The site provides a search mechanism to search for recipes using a particular ingredient. In addition, it provides a list box that lists several categories of foods. A user may type "soup" in to the search engine or may select "soup" from the list box to go to a page with a list of recipes made from the company's soup products
Links between Web pages.
A local hair salon has created a Web site to promote its services. The site contains only five Web pages. There are links on each Web page to sequentially move forward or backward through the Web pages. In addition, each Web page contains a list of links to reach each of the other Web pages.
Where content is a result of a process or task - Funds transfer confirmation.
An on-line banking site allows fund transfer between accounts via the Web. There is no other way to locate the confirmation of fund transfer until the account owner completes the transfer.
Where content is a result of a process or task - Search engine results.
A search engine provides the search results based on user input. There is no other way to locate the search results except to perform the search process itself.
Related Resources
Resources are for information purposes only, no endorsement implied.
(none currently documented)
Techniques and Failures for Success Criterion 2.4.5 [Multiple Ways]
Each numbered item in this section represents a technique or combination of techniques that the WCAG Working Group deems sufficient for meeting this success criterion. The techniques listed only satisfy the success criterion if all of the WCAG 2.0 conformance requirements have been met.
Sufficient Techniques
Using two or more of the following techniques:
Providing a search engine to help users find content (future link)
Common Failures Identified by the Working Group
The following are common mistakes that are considered failures of Success Criterion 2.4.5 by the WCAG Working Group.
(No failures currently documented)
Additional Techniques (Advisory) for 2.4.5
Although not required for conformance, the following additional techniques should be considered in order to make content more accessible. Not all techniques can be used or would be effective in all situations.
Including information about presentation modes in tables of contents and concept maps (future link)
Key Terms
- process
series of user actions where each action is required in order to complete an activity
Example 1: Successful use of a series of Web pages on a shopping site requires users to view alternative products, prices and offers, select products, submit an order, provide shipping information and provide payment information.
Example 2: An account registration page requires successful completion of a Turing test before the registration form can be accessed.
- set of Web pages
collection of Web pages that [begin add]share a common purpose and that are created by the same[end add] [begin delete]have a specific relationship to each other and that are created as a body of work by an[end delete] author, group or organization [2213]
Note: Different language versions would be considered different [begin add]sets of Web pages[end add] [begin delete]bodies of work[end delete].
[begin delete][end delete][begin delete]Example: A set of Web pages that make up a report, a test, an exercise, a catalog, or an application.
[end delete]- Web page
[begin add]a non-embedded resource that is referenced by a URI plus any other resources that are used in the rendering or intended to be rendered together with it by a user agent [end add] [begin delete]a resource that is referenced by a URI and is not embedded in another resource, plus any other resources that are used in the rendering or intended to be rendered together with it[end delete] [1948]
Note 1: Although any "other resources" would be rendered together with the primary resource, they would not necessarily be rendered simultaneously with each other.
Note 2: For the purposes of conformance with these guidelines, a resource must be "non-embedded" within the scope of conformance to be considered a Web page.
Example 1: A Web resource including all embedded images and media.
Example 2: A Web mail program built using Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX). The program lives entirely at http://mail.example.com, but includes an inbox, a contacts area and a calendar. Links or buttons are provided that cause the the inbox, contacts, or calendar to display, but do not change the URL of the page as a whole.
Example 3: A customizable portal site, where users can choose content to display from a set of different content modules.
Example 4: When you enter "http://shopping.example.com/" in your browser, you enter a movie-like interactive shopping environment where you visually move about a store dragging products off of the shelves around you into a visual shopping cart in front of you. Clicking on a product causes it to be demonstrated with a specification sheet floating alongside.