- 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
<label for="q1">Question 1</label>Why it matters
Everyone, especially screen-reader users and people who skim headings/labels for orientation.
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.
<label for="q1">What is your monthly household income?</label>Labels and headings need to describe their actual topic or purpose, not just their position in a sequence.
Outcome
On a pharmacy app's prescription-refill form, this barrier is gone for everyone — they reach the same outcome without extra effort.
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