WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.2.6, Consistent Help, is a Level A requirement: help is consistent across pages.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Help is consistent across pages
Checked automatically: reads the HTML. Severity: low. Moving help between pages makes it harder to find, and inconsistency compounds across a large site.
An approximation: One page of each distinct layout is sampled (up to 60). A decisions model (TypeSafe's Jev) says, in any language, which links and controls in the header, navigation, footer and sidebar are a way to get help; each is then compared with every item it shares a page with. Help placed only in a page's body copy is not seen.
How to fix it. Place help in the same relative order on every page of the site.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 3.3.1 Error Identification
Questions
Is WCAG 3.2.6 required by the ADA?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses. 3.2.6 was added in WCAG 2.2, so it isn't part of WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the version the Justice Department's 2024 rule adopted for state and local governments. WCAG 2.2 has been the current W3C Recommendation since October 5, 2023.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 3.2.6?
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 3.2.6 failure?
Place help in the same relative order on every page of the site.