Accessi-Bites: Beyond the Bullet Point

Lists

Lists can help readers comprehend text more quickly. Writers can use them to reduce reader fatigue resulting from trying to comprehend dense or complex paragraphs. Lists also provide a break in the document flow and encourage users to stick with the content.

Dos and don'ts

Do use lists to:

• Present key terms and concepts
• Organize information into meaningful chunks
• Convey sequences using numbered lists

Don’t use lists just to draw attention to an item. Lists should always contain list items.

Lists can also use nesting similar to what we discussed with headings in order to convey subitems.

Tables

When a sighted user looks at a table, they can visually scan to determine what column or row a data cell belongs to. A screen reader, however, reads cells one by one. Without correctly defined headers, it can lose context, leading to confusion.

Rule 1: Use tables only for data

Tables should only be used to show clear relationships between data in columns and rows (like a spreadsheet). Never use a table for layout (like spacing text or images) in Google Docs or Microsoft Word, even if you remove the borders.

Rule 2: Designate header rows

Identify at least one row or column as a header so that assistive technology can announce the context of every data cell.

Rule 3: Simplify and complete

• Simplify: Avoid complexity. Do not merge cells or nest one table inside of another.
• No empty cells: Do not leave any cells blank. If the data is missing or doesn’t apply, use descriptive text like “none” or “pending” so the screen reader doesn’t skip it.