Page Structure
On this page:
Your Impact
Accessible page structures help many users and provide technical benefits.
People with cognitive and learning disabilities can easily find and focus on page content. People using screen readers can directly skip to the main content and navigate to sections that are important to them. Keyboard users can more efficiently browse pages and sections. Another benefit is that search engines can use the data to better index the content of a page.
Grow Your Skill
What You Can Do
Use the Page Title as the Main Heading
The page title is often the same as the main heading of the page.
Put the Page Title First
Put the unique and most relevant information first. For example, put the name of the page before the name of the organization.
Use Unique Names
For each web page, provide a short title that describes the page content and distinguishes it from other pages.
Use Headings to Organize Page Content
Headings communicate the organization of the content on the page. Web browsers, plug-ins, and assistive technologies can use them to provide in-page navigation.
Nest Headings Logically
Nest headings by their rank (or level). The most important heading has the rank 1 (<h1>), the least important heading rank 6 (<h6>).
Use Headings in Logical Order
Skipping heading ranks can be confusing. Avoid this. Make sure that a <h2> is not followed directly by an <h4>, for example.
Use Real Tables
Don't use images of tables. They can’t be read by screen readers. Descriptive alt text can’t convey the meaning in an image of a table of data.
Use Descriptive Rows and Column Headings
Column headers should be descriptive of the column’s data. The first cell of each row should be used to introduce the data.
Use Tables for Numeric Data
Don’t use tables for textual content, use them for numeric content.
Use Scoped Tables
Try to create separate tables for each subject.
Accessibility Standards
Accessibility guidelines and standards aren’t unique to Louisiana. They’re established by industry leaders, government regulations, and academic research.
Section508.gov
U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973Louisiana Governor’s Office
Louisiana Office of Disability AffairsWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
WCAG 2.2 Standards