• Success Criterion 3.2.6
  • Conformance level A

Help Option Missing on the One Step Users Struggle With Most

3.2.6 — Consistent Help

Scenario

Setting

A hospital's patient portal appointment scheduler

What’s wrong

Help present on all steps except the one where users struggle (removal mid-set — inconsistent availability/order within the set).

Example 

<!-- Steps 1, 2, 4: date, provider, confirmation all have help -->
<a href="/help/scheduling">Need help?</a>

<!-- Step 3: insurance verification, the step with the most support calls, has none -->
<div class="insurance-step"></div>

Why it matters

The insurance verification step, the one patients call support about most, is the only one in the scheduler without a help link, leaving confused patients stranded exactly where they need guidance most.

How to test

Check every step of a multi-step process for the help mechanism: if it's present on all steps except the one where users are most likely to struggle, it fails.

How to fix

Audit every step of a multi-step process for the help link, especially the step support data shows people struggle with most.

<!-- Step 3: insurance verification -->
<div class="insurance-step">
  <a href="/help/scheduling">Need help?</a>
</div>

Outcome

A patient stuck on insurance verification finds a help link right where they need it, same as every other step.

Who is affected

Patients with cognitive disabilities or limited health-insurance literacy lose access to help at the single hardest step in the process.

Learn more

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