- Success Criterion 2.4.6
- Conformance level AA
Generic Section Heading Like ‘Introduction’ That Says Nothing
2.4.6 — Headings and Labels
Scenario
Setting
A pharmacy app's prescription-refill form
What’s wrong
Generic headings: "Introduction / Section 1 / More info" that don't describe topic.
Example
A pharmacy app's prescription-refill form shows the problem clearly: generic headings: "Introduction / Section 1 / More info" that don't describe topic.
Why it matters
Everyone, especially screen-reader users and people who skim headings/labels for orientation. Here, on a pharmacy app's prescription-refill form, the result is they can't tell what's going on without extra effort.
How to test
Read headings like 'Introduction', 'Section 1', 'More info' out of context: if they don't describe the actual topic, they fail.
How to fix
The heading or label must describe its section's topic or the control's purpose, distinguishably from its siblings.
Outcome
After the fix, the same visitor to a pharmacy app's prescription-refill form can now navigate the content in a sensible order.
Who is affected
Everyone, especially screen-reader users and people who skim headings/labels for orientation.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Heading or Label That Fails to Describe Its Own Purpose
- Identical Headings Repeated Over Completely Different Content
- Form Label Like ‘Field 1’ That Doesn’t Describe Its Purpose
- Same Label Used for Two Different Fields on One Form
- Clever Marketing Heading That Hides What a Section Actually Does
- Button Labeled ‘OK’ on a Destructive, Irreversible Action