Heading Structure for Accessibility
General Rules
- Each major section of content should be represented by a heading. You may have seen the HTML code looks like: <h1>,<h2>,<h3>,<h4> etc.
- The heading levels should form a logical hierarchical outline of the content on the page.
- Headings should NOT skip levels. A child element of a heading level 2 should be a heading level 3, for example, not a heading level 5.
- Don't use headings for their design. For example, If you are after a red title, don't use heading 3 unless it fits the content structure to do so.
- There MUST be only one heading level 1 <h1>. In Cascade, this is the Page Title. (See Page Title below.)
Cascade Inline MetaData for Page Title
Display Name in Cascade acts as the text used in the navigation bar.
Page Title in Cascade acts web browser page title and as the first heading <h1> on the page itself.
Adding Heading Structure
Within content, Cascade's WYSIWYG offers and easy way to insert headings. Place your cursor in the text that is your heading and apply the appropriate heading from the Formats dropdown menu.
Good Example: Real Headings
The headings in this example are marked with true heading elements (<h2>, <h3>)
Begin code: <h2>Civil Rights Laws</h2> <h3>SubLaws</h3>
<h2>Procurement Laws</h2>
Bad Example: Fake Headings Using Styles
Don't use the WYSIWYG or style code to create fake headings. The sentence below is styled to look like a real heading, but it's still just a regular a paragraph, so it will not be treated as a heading by screen readers.
"Setting fake heading"
Begin code:
<p style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 200%;"> Setting the Exposure Manually on a Camera </p>
Double Check:
- Is all text that looks and acts like a heading marked as a heading?
- Are the heading levels chosen so they convey their correct hierarchical order in the content, not for their visual styling?