Implementing accessibility skills: Lists

Learn how

Learn how to create digitally accessible lists.

What this means

Creating digitally accessible lists means not relying on formatting or typing to define a list within your document.

Why this matters

• Lists neatly present related ideas and outlines steps in a process. They also capitalize on white space, which can help make your page visually appealing for all users and easier to navigate for learners who are visually impaired or neurodiverse. See Plain Language and Formatting for more on the importance of formatting to support comprehension.
• Using your word processor’s list function (or the Rich Content Editor in Canvas) when creating lists helps screen readers interpret your lists accurately. If you just type numbers to denote a numbered list, or asterisks to denote a bulleted list, a screen reader will not interpret these as lists.

Learn more

• DiPeri, Dawn Lee. Lists. Graphic Design for Course Creators. Pressbooks.

• Content Structure: Lists. W3 Web Accessibility Initiative.

• Use Appropriate Semantic Markup for Lists. Deque University.

Cited

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Large language model]. (Used to generate the paragraph on gardening provided as an example of how to break up large blocks of text.)

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