Skip to content

Create Accessible Structure

Structured content is easier to scan, search, navigate, enlarge, print, and understand.

Headings

  • Give each document or Expandable HTML item a clear descriptive heading.
  • Use heading levels in order.
  • Do not skip levels to obtain a preferred font size.
  • Keep headings concise and unique within the content.
  • Do not use bold paragraphs as substitutes for headings.

Paragraphs and emphasis

  • Write short, focused paragraphs.
  • Use bold or italic sparingly.
  • Do not communicate meaning through color or formatting alone.
  • Avoid underlining text that is not a link.
  • Use plain language appropriate to the intended audience.

Lists

  • Use numbered lists when order matters.
  • Use bulleted lists when order does not matter.
  • Keep list items grammatically consistent.
  • Avoid manually typed bullets, numbers, tabs, or line breaks.
  • Describe the destination in the linked text.
  • Avoid repeated click here, read more, and raw web addresses.
  • Identify file type or special behavior when useful, such as Download the adopted budget (PDF).
  • Verify every link after saving.

Tables

  • Use tables only for data with meaningful row-and-column relationships.
  • Identify header cells.
  • Keep tables simple and avoid merged, split, and nested cells.
  • Do not leave blank rows or columns for spacing.
  • Test the table on a narrow screen and at increased zoom.
  • Provide the same information in another format when a complex table cannot be made reliably usable.

Images and charts

  • Add concise alternative text for informative images.
  • Describe the purpose and essential conclusion, not every decorative detail.
  • Mark decorative images appropriately when the authoring tool supports it.
  • Do not repeat nearby text unnecessarily in alt text.
  • Provide a text explanation of important chart data and conclusions.