• Success Criterion 3.2.6
  • Conformance level A

Help Mechanism Missing on Some Pages of the Same Process

3.2.6 — Consistent Help

Scenario

Setting

A professional networking site's profile editor

What’s wrong

A "Get help with this field" link appears on the profile editor's job-title step but is missing from the identical field on the summary step, so the same repeated need for help isn't handled consistently.

Example 

<!-- Job title step -->
<label for="job-title">Job title</label>
<input id="job-title">
<a href="/help/job-title">Get help with this field</a>

<!-- Summary step, same field repeated: no help link -->
<label for="job-title-summary">Job title</label>
<input id="job-title-summary">

Why it matters

The identical job title field carries a help link on the first step but loses it entirely when it reappears on the summary step, so a user confused there has nowhere to turn.

How to test

Check for a help mechanism (contact, chat, FAQ) on every page in a process — confirm it exists — if entirely absent where expected, it fails.

How to fix

Repeat the help mechanism wherever the same field or task reappears, not just the first time it's shown.

<!-- Summary step -->
<label for="job-title-summary">Job title</label>
<input id="job-title-summary">
<a href="/help/job-title">Get help with this field</a>

Outcome

A user reviewing their job title on the summary step finds the same help link waiting there.

Who is affected

Users with cognitive disabilities who found help useful earlier in the flow can't rely on it being there again for the same field.

Learn more

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