Help content on multiple pages occurs in the same position
New in WCAG 2.2
Overview
If users need to reach out to someone or get help, it's easier to find when located in the same spot across multiple pages. When help info or a mechanism moves around between similar pages, some users may have trouble finding help or completing a task, or give up entirely.
Best Practices and Tips
Ensure help info appears in the same spot
If a help feature appears in the header, footer, or other location across multiple pages, then the feature needs to be in the same location across all those pages.
If there is content before or after the help feature across multiple site pages, those should occur in the same order across all pages.
Criterion Note
This criterion isn't requiring help to be provided. If a mechanism is provided and occurs on multiple pages, then it's required the relative order of the mechanism is consistent.
Examples/Patterns
Accessible Example: Links to Contact Info
In the university-branded footer, the "contact" link always appears as the first link after the copyright info. The location of the link repeats across every page in most departmental websites:
Accessible Example: In-Page Contact Info
The Office of Global Engagement has a contact info block in their site footer. This info appears in the site footer, in the same spot on all pages.
Accessible Example: Help widgets
The Viking Union site includes a chat mechanism for getting help. The chat control appears in the same relative spot on each page (positioned in the right bottom corner, and at the end of the page structure):
