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Re: Consistent Navigation when switching between layouts

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From: Steve Green
Date: Sep 13, 2023 5:44PM

Thanks Kevin,

That is my interpretation of it too, but I'm hoping someone can suggest a plausible way of interpreting it differently.

Steve

From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Kevin Prince
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2023 12:28 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Consistent Navigation when switching between layouts

My reading of F.66 https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/failures/F66.html is that it's not a failure as the 'default presentation of the navigation mechanism on each page to see if the list of links are in the same relative order on each Web page." 3.2.3 applies to a set of pages and it doesn't consider that page one might be at a different breakpoint (and specifically notes that it doesn't apply if "a change is initiated by a user".

I'd argue that it fails the intent but not the letter though and push it strongly as being an issue.
Kevin
Kevin Prince
Product Accessibility & Usability Consultant

Foster Moore
A Teranet Company

E <EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Christchurch
fostermoore.com<http://www.fostermoore.com/>;

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >> On Behalf Of Steve Green
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2023 8:49 AM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: [WebAIM] Consistent Navigation when switching between layouts

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.


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