Familiar design: Navigation mechanisms and common icons are easily identifiable and available to the user in one or more of the following ways:
An exception is available if the style is an essential part of the main function of the site, such as for a game.
Alternative wording
A familiar layout of navigational elements and common icons are easily available such as: the standard for the user platform or, a previous versions of this product that the user is familiar with and has successfully used.
A
common icons
Principle 3, Guideline 3.2: Predictable
The intent of this success criteria is to ensure a clear relationship between the cues provided for navigation and the intended action. Icons, symbols and other mechanisms used for navigation should be consistent throughout a platform. If abstract designs are used, alternatives should be provided that are understandable to as many users as possible.
The intent is to help as many users as possible understand the site and know how to use it. This often involves using things that are clear and familiar to the user so that they do not have to learn new symbols, terms or design patterns. As many users, for example, people with memory impairments such as dementia, cannot learn new designs, this is essential for them to be able to use the content. Personalization and good use of semantics can help make symbols and design as familiar to the user as possible.
Many people cannot easily learn new design metaphors or remember things that they have learned for example, people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. Without these skills it can be much harder or impossible to:
Using familiar design, terms and symbols is key to being able to use the Web for people who cannot remember new symbols for example, some people with memory related impairments like dementia. Therefore this success criteria addresses the user need tfor hings to be familiar including:
Note: Familiar text is addressed in another SC.
An adaptive user interface design which changes based on user preferences allows users with a variety of cognitive disabilities to adjust an interface based on their specific needs. Various platforms may offer guidance for creating user interface designs. Following such guidelines helps to create consistency not only within a single application but across multiple applications. These guidelines reinforce consistency which is known to have a positive impact on users with a variety of cognitive disabilities.
It should be noted that the task force has worked to show the viability of easy personalization with:
JSON is being used for collections of name/value pairs for each skin.
We are also standardizing the relevant semantics and personalization settings to support alternative implementations.
Consistent navigational cues benefit all web users, providing clear, effective and efficient way finding. It has particular benefit for those who have cognitive impairments, which may have an impact on memory, visual and auditory perception and comprehension. These users should not be faced with barriers such as complex abstract imagery or ambiguous navigational elements.
For example, a user may have used an email program for the last few years. Now the interface has been updated and with these changes the user needs to learn new icons, and navigation. If the user is learning impaired or has an impaired memory and is not able to learn the new navigation this may keep them from reaching and using the content.
As one user with mild dementia stated "I have great difficulty remembering things, working things out, and interpreting things."
As long as interfaces are familiar the user can continue to use the Web.
Using common icons in the expected position help. But, because what is familiar to one person may not be familiar to another person enabling personalization of icons is the most useful approach.
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Identify any icons and navigation element. Where item 1, 2 or 3 can be applied, confirm that either item 1, 2 or 3 bellow is true for each icon and navigation element:
1. The icons and navigation conforms to a standard identified in a WCAG technique or the UI standard of the native platform
2. Semantics are used to enable personalization
3. A role back option to the previous interface that has been in use by the user is available (this case the role back user interface must have been widely used)
The more predictable your content is the easier it is to know how to use it.
Using COGA semantics such that common components and icons programmatic determinable enables their positions to be standardized via personalization.
Follow the standard user interface guidelines for a specific platform.
The reword document also includes the following notes:
Add at level A
Familiar layout: Help, navigation to help and search forms are easily identifiable and available to the user in one or more of the following ways: