Inappropriate Complementary Landmarks Check

Description

The “Inappropriate Complementary Landmarks Check” evaluates whether there is any complementary landmark nested within another region’s landmark.

Example outcome

I noticed that the complementary landmark is contained within other landmark.

Impact

• Visual Impairments: Screen readers may not recognize or expose the complementary region, or they may misrepresent its relationship to the main content.
• Motor Impairments: Users who depend on keyboard shortcuts to jump between landmark regions may not be able to access the complementary section efficiently.
• Cognitive Disabilities: Page layout may seem illogical or inconsistent, especially if multiple sections are indistinct or repeated.

Fixes

To address inappropriate complementary landmarks:

1. Locate the inappropriately placed complementary landmark.
2. Remove it from within the landmark in which it is nested.

Resources

• WCAG 2.2: Understanding Success Criteria 1.3.1
• WCAG 2.2 Techniques: Technique ARIA11: Using ARIA landmarks to identify regions of a page
• WebAIM: Semantic Structure: Regions, Headings, and Lists