WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6, Headings and Labels, is a Level AA requirement: headings and labels describe their topic or purpose.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Headings and labels describe their topic or purpose
Checked automatically: reads the HTML. Severity: medium. Screen-reader users skim a page by its headings and fill forms by their labels. Vague ones force them to read everything to find anything.
An approximation: Every heading and every form field label on the page is read by a decisions model (TypeSafe's Jev), in any language, for whether it tells a reader what its section covers or what to enter. A name fails only when the model is sure it does not; one it is unsure of is reported for review. Headings and labels that are empty are found by axe-core instead, and a label drawn only by an image is not read. A scan reads up to 2500 distinct texts; a page holding one past that is reported as not read, never as clear.
How to fix it. Rewrite headings to name the section's content and labels to name exactly what to enter ("Email for your receipt", not "Input 1").
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 2.4.7 Focus Visible
Questions
Is WCAG 2.4.6 required by the ADA?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses, but the Justice Department's 2022 guidance points businesses to WCAG, and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which includes 2.4.6.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 2.4.6?
Mostly. BearScan checks it automatically (reads the HTML). A clean result still isn't proof every page passes, only the pages scanned.
How do I fix a WCAG 2.4.6 failure?
Rewrite headings to name the section's content and labels to name exactly what to enter ("Email for your receipt", not "Input 1").