3.2.4 Consistent Identification

Level AA

Components that have the same functionality within a set of web pages are identified consistently.

People who learn functionality on one page on a site can find the desired functions on other pages if they are present.
When non-text content is used in a consistent way to identify components with the same functionality, people with difficulty reading text or detecting text alternatives can interact with the Web without depending on text alternatives.
People who depend on text alternatives can have a more predictable experience. They can also search for the component if it has a consistent label on different pages.

Document Icon
A document icon is used to indicate document download throughout a site. The text alternative for the icon always begins with the word “Download," followed by a shortened form of the document title. Using different text alternatives to identify document names for different documents is a consistent use of text alternatives.
Check Mark
A check mark icon functions as "approved", on one page but as "included" on another. Since they serve different functions, they have different text alternatives.