Structure

Properly structured documents are essential to allow users who cannot see the layout to navigate documents. Assistive technology relies on the underlying structure to differentiate between (and indicate to users) content types which allows users to jump to specific places in the document, browse or skim information, and understand an overview before delving deeper.

Additionally, consistently structured documents help all readers with context, organization of ideas, and clarity. Using a consistent structure help.

To create accessible structure:

• Use templates.
• Use clear and consistent layouts across related documents.
• Use built-in heading and style tools.
• Use built-in list tools to create lists and tables.
• Use page breaks, columns, and text spacing tools in place of creating space manually using the Spacebar, Tab, or Return keys.
• Avoid text boxes.
• Check reading and tab order.

On this page:

• Headings
• Navigation
• Lists
• Tables

Headings

Headings are an important part of documents and web pages. Headings create organizational flow, build connections between key concepts, and break up large blocks of text to increase readability. Headings allow all learners to understand the logical structure of the page and navigate to different sections. Assistive technology can convey this structure to screen readers and speech-to-text software if the headings are properly formatted, not simply larger and bold text.

Use built-in tools to create headings in nested, sequential order. Proper headings are both visual and semantic (code for interpreting content). Simply making text larger and bold does not give headings essential meaning in code. Proper headings have both style and meaning.

Headings are

Navigation

• Ensure documents have a title.
• Add a table of contents to documents longer than 5 pages.
• Provide skip links and multiple ways to navigate (previous and next buttons, menus, breadcrumb navigation, site map, etc.) in HTML.

Lists

Use the list tools to create lists. Creating lists using asterisks or dashes will not inform assistive technology that the content is part of a list. Lists are useful for steps in a process or grouping items. It is important that everyone is made aware of the presence of a list.

Properly formatted lists organize information and makes your documents accessible.

• Use bullet lists for unorganized lists.
• Lists where the sequence is not important.

1. Use numbered lists for items where sequence is important.
2. Such as steps in a process.

Tables

Table Best Practices

• Tables must have a header and/or column row.
• A concise, descriptive table title or caption helps with context and organization.
• Do not use nested, merged, split, or unnecessary blank cells.
• Use cell borders to keep data visually discrete. There are exceptions in which cell borders can be removed.
• Ensure cells have adequate padding and margins.
• Do not use colour alone to indicate meaning.
• Verify table reading order by placing the text cursor in cell A1 and press the Tab key to move cell to cell. Ensure reading order matches the visual order.
• The Brightspace Accessibility Checker offers significant checks and resolutions to improve table accessibility. The Office (Word and PowerPoint) checker does not offer as robust checks, only flagging missing header row.

Later chapters will expand on using built-in tools to create headings, lists, and tables in different software suites and document types.