2: Using Structured Headings

What are structured headings? 

Headings are special styling that outline a page’s content for users and their devices. 

Built-in heading styles establish hierarchical structure within your document or webpage — creating an outline of the content for your users and their devices. 

Average text formatting — such as fonts, font sizes, bolding, underlining, italics or all caps — cannot accomplish the same task because text formatting does not create the same HTML output, so it cannot send the same digital signals to assistive technology. 

What is assistive technology? 

Assistive technology is software and hardware that people with disabilities use to improve their interaction with the web. 

For example, a screen reader is a software program that allows users to read what is on the screen by listening to synthetic speech and/or using Braille. 

Many people use screen readers to help them perceive, operate and understand web content, Examples include: 

• Users with sight-related disabilities (such as blindness or low-vision) 
• Users with cognitive disabilities (such as dyslexia or ADHD) 
• Users with a temporary or permanent physical disability (such as a broken hand or ALS) 

Why are headings important for accessibility? 

Users, especially those with sight-related disabilities, often ask a screen reader to read all the headings on a page aloud. This helps them create a mental map of the document or webpage. 

Screen reader users can also use headings to navigate a document or webpage, asking their device to read them the text under a particular heading once they’ve heard the full list. 

Without properly structured headings, a screen reader user would need to listen to the entire content of a page or document to find the information they are interested in — an unnecessary barrier to their success. 

Are there other benefits to using headings? 

Headings make it easier for all users to scan the webpage content and find the information they are seeking. 

Headings also improve search engine optimization (SEO), making a webpage more likely to come up in Google search results. 

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