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Consistent Navigation when switching between layouts

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From: Steve Green
Date: Sep 13, 2023 2:48PM

I am testing a website that has two menus at the top of the page. One is a small utility menu containing three links. The other is the main menu. In the desktop layout, the utility menu is before the main menu, but in the mobile layout the main menu is first. Is this a violation of WCAG SC 3.2.3 (Consistent Navigation)?

It's certainly a real world problem because screen reader users tend not to pay attention to their browser window size, and they are confused when websites suddenly have different content or behave differently. For instance, a screen reader user recently told me he could not get a particular website to stop talking, and I found that it displayed an autorotating carousel in the mobile layout, but not in the desktop layout. Maximising the window was a simple fix, but not one the user could come up with by themselves.

My problem is that the client has a very tight launch schedule and is not going to want to change the design unless I can show it's a WCAG non-conformance. They are usually receptive to user experience improvements, but not on this project.

Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd