Headings and Labels
Headings and labels describe topic or purpose.
In plain language
When a page uses headings or labels, they need to actually describe what that section or field is about — not be vague or generic.
Why it matters
People scanning a page with a screen reader often jump from heading to heading, or from label to label in a form, to quickly understand the structure. Vague headings like "Section 1" or labels like "Field 2" give them no useful information to navigate by.
In practice
Fails this criterion
A form has two fields labeled only "Field 1" and "Field 2" instead of something descriptive.
Meets this criterion
The same form labels those fields "First Name" and "Last Name," so their purpose is immediately clear.
Test it yourself
Skim through the site's headings and form labels only (ignore the surrounding content). Can you tell what each section or field is about just from that? If they're vague or generic, this criterion is failing.