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Accessible Technology

Finding content

Overview

Web users, especially users with disabilities, depend on web pages being predictable. When navigation is consistent from page to page within a website, it is much easier for all users to find particular items within the navigation.

Also, all users have adopted a variety of methods for finding content on websites. Some people prefer to use search, others prefer navigation menus, and others prefer site maps. For some users, the choice might be dictated by the ease of use of particular feature. For example, some users with disabilities might find that it’s easier to use search than to operate a dropdown menu. To address the diverse needs of all users, web designers should provide multiple means for finding content on your website.

Techniques

Consistent navigation

Use an overall theme that remains consistent across all web pages within a website. Content such as navigation menus, search, a help link, and contact information should be provided in approximately the same place on each page, with items repeated in the same relative order across pages.

Any links, buttons, images, or other components that are used repeatedly throughout a website should be labeled consistently. For example, if a web application is inconsistent and includes a “Sign In” link on some pages, and a “Log In” link on other pages, this can create confusion and frustrate users. Screen reader users familiar with the “Sign In” link might try to search for that text on pages where it’s labeled differently and would come up empty-handed.

For techniques related to navigation within a web page, see our Navigation page.

Multiple means of finding content

Provide more than one way to find content on your website, for example:

  • Provide a navigation menu
  • Provide a search feature
  • Provide a site map

The standard UW WordPress Theme has been created with accessibility in mind, and satisfies the needs described on this page, as does the Drupal theme that’s available on the Community Themes and Modules wiki. For additional information, see the Using UW-branded Themes section of our Websites home page.

WCAG 2.2 Success Criteria

The issues described on this page, and associated Techniques pages, map to the following success criteria in the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2: