On this page…
Our users, in general, need us to provide consistent navigation throughout a website. Our disabled users feel this need even more strongly. If you’re using a screen reader to navigate a site, or you have ADHD and are easily distracted, for example, a consistent layout will make understanding what you’re viewing easier — and an inconsistent layout will make understanding much, much harder.
A few things to consider when designing the page layout for the overall site:
- Are the pages consistently using the same global header, and is it named the same thing from page to page?
- Am I providing breadcrumbs for pages that are deep in the hierarchy, and are they consistently named “Breadcrumbs”?
- Do I provide a global footer with a site map, or access to a site map, on every page?
- Is the navigation consistent and predictable, so that I know I’m still on the same site, and where inside it I am?