A clear indication that specific form fields are required can save users time and avoid potential errors relating to missing data when a form is submitted.

This indication should be visually distinct without relying on color, and it should also be programmatically available to screen-reader users.

Users can find their way around a web site more easily and confidently if they know where they are.

This is why websites tend to highlight the navigation-menu item for the current page or section. But to make this information is accessible, we cannot rely on color alone to differentiate that link.