Lists are not just visual; they provide a technical structure that screen reading software communicates relationships to assistive technology.
The “Why”
- Scope and Expectation: When a screen reader encounters a properly formatted list, it announces the number of items (e.g., “List, five items”). This helps a visually impaired user understand the scope of the information before they start reading.
- Navigation Shortcuts: Many screen readers allow users to jump from list to list using a single key (usually the “L” key). If you don’t use real list formatting, they lose this navigation shortcut.
- Sequence Logic: Properly nested lists (sub-bullets) clarify the relationship between a main idea and its supporting details, preventing the information from feeling like a random “info dump.”
Examples: Before vs. After
The “Manual Dash” Problem
- Bad: Using a hyphen or an asterisk followed by a space to create a “list” manually.
– Item 1
– Item 2
- The Result: The screen reader sees this as a series of individual paragraphs that happen to start with a dash. It will not announce it as a list, and the user won’t know how many items are left.
- Good: Selecting the text and clicking the Bulleted List or Numbered List button in your editor.
- The Result: The software wraps the text in a “list tag” (<ul> or <ol>), providing the necessary metadata for accessibility.
The “Fake” Numbering Problem
- Bad: Typing “1. “, “2. “, etc., manually for a sequence of steps.
- Good: Using the Numbered List tool.
- The Difference: If you decide to add a step in the middle, a “Real” list will re-number itself automatically, ensuring the sequence remains accurate for both visual and screen reader users.
How-To: Strategies for Success
- Ordered vs. Unordered: Use Numbered Lists (<ol>) for sequences where the order matters (like a recipe or a procedure). Use Bulleted Lists (<ul>) for collections of items where the order is arbitrary.
- Avoid “List Fatigue”: If a list has more than 7鈥�10 items, consider breaking it into sub-categories with their own sub-headings.
- Consistent Punctuation: If your list items are full sentences, end them with periods. If they are fragments, you can leave the periods off鈥攋ust be consistent throughout the document.
- Use Proper Nesting: If you need a “list within a list,” use the Increase Indent button. This creates a nested structure that screen readers describe as “List level 2.”
- Don’t Over-Format: Avoid using fancy custom bullets (like little images or hand-drawn icons). Stick to the standard circles, squares, or numbers provided by the software.
- One Idea Per Item: Keep each list item concise. If an item requires three paragraphs of explanation, it should probably be its own section with an H3聽heading instead of a list item.
Apply This to Your Work
Ready to structure your data? See the specific technical steps for your preferred platform: