How do I use headings in a Lessons page to improve accessibility?

Beyond general advice for the use of proper heading formats within a document or webpage, there are a few accessibility issues that are particular to the Lessons tool and headings. The following tips will help you improve the accessibility of Lessons pages.

1. Apply a proper topmost heading.
2. Use section titles judiciously (e.g., in Add Layout or Section Properties).

For more details on formatting headings and structuring your pages for accessibility, see the articles, How do I use headings to organize content? and How can I structure my document to make it more accessible?

Tip 1: Apply a proper topmost heading.

First, all Lessons pages should begin with a rich-text block which in turn begins with a heading whose text matches the page title of the Lessons page. This topmost heading should be formatted as Heading 1. An example that meets this first recommendation is depicted below. 

Adhering to this practice effectively avoids a potential source of confusion when users navigate to the page in question. Despite the presence of the Lessons page title already displayed among the navigation controls at the top of the Lessons page, the page below serves as a unit, where the inclusion of a Heading 1 heading more clearly emphasizes which Lessons page the user has navigated to. Furthermore, the Heading 1 heading establishes the basis for accessibility and clear visual hierarchy in a page for subsequent headings formatted as 'Heading 2', 'Heading 3', etc., as described in this article. The diagram below depicts an example section of a Lessons page with heading formats labeled. 

For more details on formatting headings and structuring your pages for accessibility, see the articles, How do I use headings to organize content? and How can I structure my document to make it more accessible?

Tip 2: Use section titles judiciously.

Section titles can be added either when editing the Section Properties for a horizontal section break or when using Add Layout at the top of a Lessons page. Section titles are always formatted as Heading 3. Given this formatting constraint, section titles should only be inserted within a Lessons page where the use of Heading 3 would be appropriate from an accessibility perspective. For instance, the top of a Lessons page would not be ideal, because the topmost heading on a page should be Heading 1. A more ideal location would be the section you insert is located somewhere beneath a heading formatted as Heading 2 which specifies the topic for which the section title you insert would specify a logical subtopic.

The following example depicts a series of collapsible sections, each with a section title formatted as Heading 3, that logically follow a part of the page beginning with Heading 2 heading (e.g., “Six Strategies to Increase Accessibility”). 

Refer to this article for more details on how headings and proper formatting affect accessibility.

2a. Section Properties for a horizontal section break

To edit the Section Properties of a horizontal section break, click the cog wheel button.

Enter a Section Title if desired and if a Heading 3 heading makes sense for the location of the section with respect to accessibility. Configure other options as desired, then click Save.

2b. Add Layout

To add multiple section breaks at the same time (a layout), click Add Layout at the top of the Lessons page.

Enter a Section Title if desired and if a Heading 3 heading makes sense for the location of the layout with respect to accessibility. Configure other options as desired, then click Add Layout.

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