Headings and subheadings break content into easily scannable sections. Meaningful headings tell the user what a section is about. The sections created by headings are hierarchical, like a table of contents. The page title is a level 1 heading because it explains what the entire page is about. Level 2 headings should be used to identify the major sections of the content. Level 3 headings are subsections of the content under the level 2 headings. Level 4 headings are subsections of the content under the level 3 headings, etc. Headings are not necessary in all cases, but are particularly helpful for content that is several paragraphs or longer. Because they are used to indicate the structure of page, headings never should be used to make text appear large or bold.
Help ContentsLists are used to display information in an easy-to-read format. Lists make information stand out, and lists are easily scannable. An indented sub-list can be used to create levels of meaning inside a list. Use a numbered list when the order is important (e.g., steps 1-5). Use a bulleted list when the sequence is not important. Never use a non-bulleted list to create the appearance of indenting.
Help ContentsLinks allow users to quickly jump from one page to another, related page. Link text (shown on the screen as clickable, blue, and underlined) should be unique and understandable out of context and should clearly indicate the link's destination or function. Do not use ambiguous link text like "click here" or "more." Link text should be at least four characters in length.
Types of links available in OneNet and their uses:
Images are used to convey meaning or to add visual interest to a page. They may be meaningful or decorative. A meaningful image requires alternate text which replaces the image if the user is using a screen reader or has images turned off. The alternate text should be concise and replace the image's meaning. Complex images, such as charts, graphs, and diagrams, whose meaning cannot be conveyed in alternate text, require a full description. Enter text or a table into the full description placeholder (the area with a dashed line border) that appears immediately below the image in the editor window. If an image is purely decorative (i.e., does not convey meaning), alternate text is unnecessary.
Help ContentsLinks to documents allow users to view a document that is not an intranet or web page. Link text (shown on the screen as clickable, blue, and underlined) should be unique and understandable out of context and should clearly indicate the link's destination or function. Links to documents must contain the file type (e.g., pdf, doc, Word, xls, etc) in the link text.
Help ContentsA table is a format that uses columns and rows to display data. Tables should not be used to make content appear in a certain layout (e.g., columns) on a page. The data in a table is arranged into columns and rows to convey the relationship between the data in the cells. By default the first row of a table contains headers that describe the content in each column, and the first column of a table contains headers that describe the content in each row. Additional columns or rows of headers can be indicated if needed.
A summary, which provides a name for the table, is required. The summary does not display on the screen, but is available only to screen readers used by people with disabilities.
Occasionally a table contains merged cells, the content of which acts as a third header for a data cell. The presence of these merged cells creates a complex table - i.e., a table that has another axis of headers for a group of rows or group of columns. Complex tables usually can be simplified by adding an additional column or by breaking the complex table into multiple, simple tables.
Help ContentsOptions available in the Format menu (Ctrl+O) can be used either to convey meaning (meaningful formatting) or to make text look a specific way (visual formatting).
Line Break (Shift+Enter) starts a new line without starting a new paragraph (which gives the appearance of single spacing). For example:
John Doe
123 Main St
Springfield, IL 62701
Checks the spelling of the document, allowing the author to change or ignore misspelled words.
The remaining checkers are designed to alert the author of any potential accessibility issues that require the author's judgment. The checkers present the content in a way that is meant to help the author visualize accessibility (provide an alternate view of the content that simulates some common assistive technology features, such as a list of links on a page). The author should read the instructions at the top of each checker and confirm that he or she has used the OneNet features correctly. The author can make most corrections right within the checker.
Provides a "table of contents" view of all the headings on a page. If the headings do not properly provide a table of contents for the page, headings may need to be added, removed, or set to the right levels. Headings never should be used just to make text look larger. The heading check notifies the author if headings are out of sequence or if the document contains bold paragraphs that may be meant to be headings.
Displays possible lists on the page. The List Check looks for lists created by typing asterisks, numbers, or letters at the beginning of each line instead of using the List menu. If the possible list should be marked up using the List menu, select a list type option from the drop-down list.
Lists all the links on the page and their addresses so the author can ensure that the link text is meaningful and clearly indicates the link's destination or function. The user should be able to tell where each link will take him or her or what it will do by reading just the text listed. Potentially incorrect link text (link text that is not clear, missing link text, same link text used for different addresses, same addresses used with different link text, and link text that is shorter than four characters) is flagged. Links also may be tested from the Link Check dialog.
Lists all the images on the page along with their type and alternate text. An image's alternate text should convey the same meaning as the image. The image check alerts the author of missing alternate text and missing full descriptions for complex images. The author also is notified of alternate text containing the words "image," "graphic," "picture," or "photo" or alternate text that is less than two words or greater than twenty words in length.
Lists all the links to documents on the page with their link text so the author can ensure that the link text contains the title of the document and the file type (e.g., pdf, doc) and shows the means by which an accessible version is being provided.
Displays each table's summary and table showing the headers for each data cell in a table. Confirm that the displayed headers correctly describe the text in the data cell. Also ensure that the table makes sense when read in the order shown.
Help Contents