- Success Criterion 2.4.6
- Conformance level AA
Same Label Used for Two Different Fields on One Form
2.4.6 — Headings and Labels
Scenario
Setting
A dating app's profile setup
What’s wrong
Ambiguous duplicate labels ("Name" for both product and user in one form).
Example
Consider a dating app's profile setup: ambiguous duplicate labels ("Name" for both product and user in one form).
Why it matters
Everyone, especially screen-reader users and people who skim headings/labels for orientation. The practical effect on a dating app's profile setup: they can't navigate the content by its real structure.
How to test
Check for duplicate labels used for different purposes (e.g., 'Name' for both a product field and a user field) within the same form: ambiguity here fails.
How to fix
The heading or label must describe its section's topic or the control's purpose, distinguishably from its siblings.
Outcome
That one change on a dating app's profile setup means they 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
- Generic Section Heading Like ‘Introduction’ That Says Nothing
- Identical Headings Repeated Over Completely Different Content
- Form Label Like ‘Field 1’ That Doesn’t Describe Its Purpose
- Clever Marketing Heading That Hides What a Section Actually Does
- Button Labeled ‘OK’ on a Destructive, Irreversible Action