Your website must abide by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Going over these rules and how they pertain to headings while speaking to an ADA lawyer, if necessary, will protect you from ADA web accessibility lawsuits.
What Are The 4 Core Guidelines Of ADA Accessibility?
To be considered ADA accessible, your website must be:
-Perceivable.
-Operable.
-Understandable.
-Robust.
None of these terms may mean very much to you. But, in order to understand what these guidelines to, here are four examples of these guidelines in action:
-Your website must rely on audio captions and transcripts, as well as clear color contrasts.
-Your website must be operable through keyboard usage only rather than requiring a mouse.
-Your website must be readable, and the content and functions must be easy to understand.
-Your website must be compatible with a variety of different assistive technologies.
If your website is all of those things, then it meets some of the criteria underlying ADA web accessibility.
What Are Headings?
A heading is a tool you can and should use to organize the content on your website.
Just as an example, if you are writing a post about the use of headings, then, in order to clarify what a particular piece of content is centered on, you can develop a heading that goes something like “What Are Headings?”
Right within that piece, you can introduce other headings called “subheadings.” These subheadings serve to further delineate the content within that particular piece of content, ensuring that what is being conveyed is always clear.
Many people scan content rather than read it while online. By making use of headings and subheadings, it is easier for people to read and understand what you are communicating.
What Are ADA Accessible Headings?
On its own, an ADA-accessible heading is, essentially, a regular heading and/or subheading. But, unlike regular headings, ADA-accessible headings abide by a variety of simple but important rules.
The rules that ADA-accessible headings abide by are as follows:
-Every heading describes the topic/purpose of a particular section.
-Every heading is descriptive, yet clear, regarding the topic/purpose of a section.
-Every heading is used to organize the content of a particular piece.
If your headings abide by these basic rules, then they are ADA-accessible. But, if they do not abide by these basic rules, then they must be adjusted in order to accommodate the ADA’s rules.
How Can You Create ADA Accessible Headings For Your Website?
To create ADA-accessible headings for your website, you must begin with the rules outlined in the previous section.
Right when you begin creating your headings, consider the topic/purpose these headings/subheadings are used to delineate. And, with this information in mind, use that to inspire each heading.
No matter what, make sure your headings and subheadings are clear and descriptive. If you are going to go over the topic of headings, for example, then use headings that adequately describe this focus.
To ensure that your headings are effective, you must make sure that they are spread throughout the content. If they are, then they must organize the topics within your content, ensuring that it is easy to read and understand.
Every single one of the above, if followed, will ensure that your headings are ADA-accessible.
