Understanding Multiple Ways

In brief

Goal

Users can get to content in multiple ways.

What to do

Provide at least two options for reaching the same content.

Why it's important

Not everyone can navigate content in the same way.

Intent of Multiple Ways

The intent of this Success Criterion is to make it possible for users to locate content in a manner that best meets their needs. Users may find one technique easier or more comprehensible to use than another.

Even small sites should provide users some means of orientation. For a three or four page site, with all pages linked from the home page, it may be sufficient simply to provide links from and to the home page where the links on the home page can also serve as a site map.

Benefits of Multiple Ways

• Providing an opportunity to navigate sites in more than one manner can help people find information faster. Users with visual impairments may find it easier to navigate to the correct part of the site by using a search, rather than scrolling through a large navigation bar using a screen magnifier or screen reader. A person with cognitive disabilities may prefer a table of contents or site map that provides an overview of the site rather than reading and traversing through several Web pages. Some users may prefer to explore the site in a sequential manner, moving from Web page to Web page in order to best understand the concepts and layout.
• Individuals with cognitive limitations may find it easier to use search features than to use a hierarchical navigation scheme that may be difficult to understand.

Examples of Multiple Ways

A search mechanism

A large food processing company provides a site containing recipes created using its products. The site provides a search mechanism to search for recipes using a particular ingredient. In addition, it provides a list box that lists several categories of foods. A user may type "soup" in to the search engine or may select "soup" from the list box to go to a page with a list of recipes made from the company's soup products.

Links between Web pages

A local hair salon has created a Web site to promote its services. The site contains only five Web pages. There are links on each Web page to sequentially move forward or backward through the Web pages. In addition, each Web page contains a list of links to reach each of the other Web pages.

Where content is a result of a process or task - Funds transfer confirmation

An on-line banking site allows fund transfer between accounts via the Web. There is no other way to locate the confirmation of fund transfer until the account owner completes the transfer.

Where content is a result of a process or task - Search engine results

A search engine provides the search results based on user input. There is no other way to locate the search results except to perform the search process itself.

Resources for Multiple Ways

Techniques for Multiple Ways