Web and document accessibility for SERC

Page Structure and Headings

Using headings in the proper order is important for accessibility in documents and web pages.  Headings organize content and make it navigable for those using screen readers, keyboard navigation rather than a mouse, and slow internet connections, etc.  Combined with visual styles, headings are a powerful tool for organizing information and displaying it visually.

In Serckit, you can choose which headings to apply to your content-- and it is critical to apply these properly and in the correct manner.  Instructions for heading use:

  • Always start with h1 (heading 1)
  • Always use headings in order (h1 to h6) when descending in hierarchy
  • Items of equal rank should have the same heading level.


Serckit now has a feature which will warn if you are using headings out of the correct descending order within a text block.  However, it's still necessary to check your headings throughout an entire webpage to make sure no heading levels are skipped or misused. This is not a feature in word, and therefore, it is still necessary to check your headings in your word documents as well.

 

Why it's critical to use structure (headings): 1.3.10 Activity: Overview of web page content

 

Exercise: Choose a random webpage or 3, on the SERC site or elsewhere, and

  • Run it through the WAVE web accessibility checker. Are the headers nested correctly?
  • Test out the navigability of the content based on headings.  Copy and paste the headings and subheadings, without any other text, into a separate document. Does this outline the page content accurately? That is, will someone using a screen reader to skim the headings be able to predict what the content of the page is?