4 Headings
Why Are Headings Important?
Heading levels are an important tool used to communicate the structure of your content to assistive technologies, such as screen readers.
A common way for a screen reader to navigate a page is by heading level. Proper use of heading level helps make the content as accessible as possible to assistive technology users.
Common Errors: Skipping heading levels, using headings to style content, using other styles as a replacement to headings, more than one h1 per page, using headings for non-heading content.
No Need For Heading Level 1 In Pressbooks
In pressbooks, each chapter has its own web-page. Each chapter has a title, and that title is displayed as a Heading Level 1 at the top of the page. This means that when creating the content of a chapter within the Visual Editor in pressbooks, the only heading levels that should be selected are Heading 2-6, as the title of the current chapter is already displayed as a Heading 1 on the page. Each heading you create within a chapter is a subheading of the chapter’s title.
Skipping Heading Levels
When creating a subheading, the subheading must be one level of heading higher than the previous heading. For example, if the intention is to create a subheading of a heading level 1, then a heading level 2 must be used.
Good Example: The example below illustrates the correct use of heading levels. The first heading used is Heading 1, and each heading that follows is one level below the last.
(Heading 1) Types of Animals
(Heading 2) Mammals
(Heading 3) Dogs
(Heading 4) Corgis
(Heading 2) Birds
(Heading 3) Parrots
(Heading 4) Macaws
Bad Example:
(Heading 1) Types of Animals
(Heading 3) Mammals
(Heading 4) Dogs
(Heading 6) Corgis
(Heading 3) Birds
(Heading 4) Parrots
(Heading 6) Macaws
Don’t Use Headings To Style Content
This is one of the most common misuses of headings in press books. Depending on your editing software of choice, heading levels are each styled in different ways. However, headings should not be used as a tool to style the content. Headings are used strictly to communicate the structure of your content to assistive technology, not for styling. If the style of the correct heading level you need to select doesn’t work
Headings vs. Other Styles
In contrast, other styling options should not be used as a replacement to a heading either. This may work just fine for sighted users, but assistive technology will not differentiate the styled text from the other text, making the content less accessible.
Avoid the use of bold/italics as a way to convey headings and subheadings. It is okay to use these styles along with the heading level, but do not use them as a replacement for a heading.
Good Example: This is a bold heading level 2, meaning it is accessible to assistive technology.
Bold Heading
Bad Example: This is just bold paragraph text that has been given an increased font size. Due to it not being an actual heading, this content does not meet accessibility standards.
Bold Paragraph Text With Larger Font
Avoid Headings for Non-Heading Content
It is also important that non-heading content is not displayed in headings. This allows the content to be more easily navigated by assistive technology. Having extra unnecessary headings makes navigating the page for specific information more tedious for assistive technology users.
Good Example: Non-heading content is kept out of the below headings, allowing clean navigation by assistive technology.
Our Services
We offer a variety of services to our customers, etc…
Business Services
Here are the details for our business service, etc…
Marketing Services
Here are the details for our marketing service, etc…
Bad Example: Some of the below headings are describing the subheading above it, resulting in a confusing and tedious structure for assistive technology.