Technique G71:Providing a help link on every Web page

Applicability

All technologies.

This technique relates to 3.3.5: Help (Sufficient).

Description

The objective of this technique is to provide context sensitive help for users as they enter data in forms by providing at least one link to the help information on each Web page. The link targets a help page with information specific to that Web page. Another approach is to provide a help link for every interactive control. Positioning this link immediately before or after the control allows users to easily tab to it if they have problems in the control. Displaying the help information in a new browser window ensures that any data that has already been entered into the form will not be lost. NOTE: A link is not the only means to provide help.

Examples

Example 1

The example below shows a label element that includes a help link. Including the help link within the label element allows screen reader users to have access to the help link when interacting with the input form control.

              <form action="test.html">
                <label for="test">Test control
                <a href="help.html" target="_blank">Help</a></label>
                <input type="text" name="test" id="test" />
                </form>

Tests

Procedure

  1. Identify a Web page that contains forms.
  2. Determine if there is at least one link to help information explaining how to complete the form on this Web page.
  3. Determine if there are links either before or after each interactive control to information specific to that control.

Expected Results

  • Either #2 or #3 are true.