- Success Criterion 2.4.6
- Conformance level AA
2.4.6 · Headings and Labels
Lesson overview · Headings and Labels
In plain language
Headings and labels must describe their content/purpose.
Who it affects
Everyone, especially screen-reader users and people who skim headings/labels for orientation.
How to check
Read all headings and field labels out of context: does each one still tell you what it's about?
Common misconception
Vague section headers like “Overview” or “Details” are technically headings, but they fail this rule because they don't tell a screen-reader user, jumping heading to heading, what's actually in that section.
Learn more
Scenarios in this lesson
- 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
- 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
- Two Date Fields Both Labeled ‘Date’ With No From/To Distinction
- Heading That Actually Describes the Section Before It