3.14 Provide navigation bars
Contents
WAI Checkpoint 13.5
Full WAI text: "Provide navigation bars to highlight and give access to the navigation mechanism." Present a consistently available list of links to key sections in the site.
Rationale
Providing a consistently available navigation bar makes navigating through the site easier by moving easily between key sections, without having to continually return to the home page.
Directions and Techniques
Display the navigation bar on every page of the site
Include the names of key sections - especially the home page so users can quickly and easily navigate back through the site if they are lost. Ensure that the navigation bar is located consistently within the page structure, so that users do not have to search for it and get confused as they navigate through the site.
Display a "breadcrumb trail" on every page and especially on multi-page forms
A breadcrumb trail is a navigation device that shows the user where they are in the site structure. For example, "You are here: Home, Web Accessibility, Guidelines, Guideline Number 3.7". To facilitate backward navigation, the following elements from this breadcrumb trail could be hyperlinks "Home, Web Accessibility, Guidelines".
How you could check for this:
There are no specific test methods recommended for this guideline.
Guidelines for Web Accessibility - Priority 3- 3.1 Ensure that text and background have sufficient contrast for people with colour deficient vision
- 3.2 Provide text links to emulate client-side image maps
- 3.3 Expand the first occurrence of any abbreviation or acronym
- 3.4 Identify the primary language of the document text
- 3.5 Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.
- 3.6 Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension
- 3.7 Provide summaries for tables
- 3.8 Provide abbreviations for table header labels
- 3.9 Identify groups of related links and provide a way to bypass them
- 3.10 Provide a linear alternative for parallel, word-wrapped columns of text
- 3.11 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects
- 3.12 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links, form controls, and groups of form controls
- 3.13 Separate adjacent links with non-link, printable characters surrounded by spaces
- 3.14 Provide navigation bars
- 3.15 If search functions are provided, enable different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences
- 3.16 Provide information about documents comprising multiple pages
- 3.17 Provide a means to skip over multi-line ASCII art
- 3.18 Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages
- 3.19 Include default text in form text boxes
- 3.20 Provide information to enable users to receive documents according to their preferences
