Help
Context-sensitive help is available.
In plain language
When a field or task is hard to fill in, help must be available right there, next to it — not buried somewhere else on the site.
Why it matters
Not everyone immediately understands what a field is asking for (a code, a specific format, a technical term). Without help visible at the right moment, people get stuck, give up, or fill it in wrong — this hits especially hard for people with cognitive disabilities or little familiarity with the subject.
In practice
Fails this criterion
A registration form asks for a "professional registration number" with no explanation of what it is, where to find it, or what format to use. Anyone unfamiliar with it is lost.
Meets this criterion
Next to the field there's a help link or icon that explains exactly what that number is, where to find it, and how to enter it.
Test it yourself
Go through the site's more complex forms and screens. Whenever a field or task isn't self-explanatory, check whether help (text, a link, or an icon) is available right there, without having to leave the screen or search elsewhere.