• Success Criterion 2.4.5
  • Conformance level AA

Second Way to Navigate Available on Desktop but Not Mobile

2.4.5 — Multiple Ways

Scenario

Setting

A survey tool's question builder

What’s wrong

"Second way" exists only for desktop layout — mobile removes search/sitemap entirely.

Example 

@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .question-sidebar,
  .question-search { display: none; }
}

Why it matters

A mobile user building a long survey loses both search and the question index, leaving scrolling as the only way to jump between questions.

How to test

Check the mobile layout specifically: if search/sitemap links present on desktop are removed on mobile, leaving only one way to navigate, it fails.

How to fix

A second way to navigate must exist across breakpoints, not just on the layout it was designed for first.

@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .question-sidebar { display: none; }
}

<button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="mobile-index">Jump to question</button>
<nav id="mobile-index" hidden>...question list...</nav>

Outcome

A survey builder on a phone taps Jump to question and reaches question 12 directly.

Who is affected

Mobile-only users, including many switch and screen magnification users, lose their one alternate way to navigate.

Learn more

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