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Welcome to our September issue of the Accessibility Minute Newsletter! This newsletter is produced by the ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ Digital Accessibility Office (DAO) and covers one accessibility skill or topic per month. Please visit the DAO website to access past newsletters. As always, thank you for taking a minute (or two) to read.

Accessible Lists

In this month's "back to basics" series, we're covering accessible lists. Lists are collections of items that are either ordered or unordered. Ordered lists are typically presented as numbered or lettered lists that are intended to be read in a particular sequence, such as step-by-step directions for your favorite recipe. Unordered lists typically use bullet points and present a collection of related items without any particular order, such as the ingredients needed for that recipe.

Why Are Accessible Lists Important?

When assistive technologies encounter an accessible list, they announce that they are entering a list and the total number of items it contains; something like “list, 8 items.” As it reads through each item in the list, it typically announces the bullet or number before the text element, e.g., "Bullet, item 1." If this information is not available, it may be confusing why there is a random string of words in the middle of a page. That said, let's talk about "fake" lists, a term our office uses for a list that is not created programmatically.

Example of an accessible list:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 sticks softened butter
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Example of an inaccessible "fake" list:

(a) 2 cups flour
(b) 1 cup sugar
(c) 2 sticks softened butter
(d) 2 cups chocolate chips
​
While the preceding inaccessible "fake" list may visually look like a list, assistive technologies would not recognize it as one. Our "fake" list example via screen reader would not announce any list formatting information and may be read as, "left paren, a, right paren, 2 cups flour. Left paren, b, right paren, 1 cup sugar," and so on ("paren" represents parenthesis).

How Do I Make an Accessible List?

To make an accessible list, all you need to do is use the programmatic list function in your content creation platform, which can usually be found in the main ribbon menu or toolbar. Many platforms, like Microsoft Word, call the programmatic list function "Bullets and Numbering," depending on what type of list you're trying to create. Most platforms also automatically create a programmatic list when you type an asterisk, or a number/letter + a period, followed by the space bar.

Additional Recommendations

Additionally, when creating unordered (bulleted) lists, we recommend using the standard bullet options, such as the Bullet, Hollow Bullet, Square, and Hollow Square. When you use non-standard bullet options, like the Right Arrow, Black Diamond, Arrowhead, and Star, assistive technologies may view them as images when used in certain file types.

Lastly, when creating a list that includes hierarchical structure, also referred to as a nested list, we recommend no more than 3 levels of indentation in one list.

Example of a nested list:

• Introduction
  • Hook the reader
  • Introduce the main topic
  • Thesis statement
• Body
  • First main point
    • Supporting evidence
    • Explanation
  • Second main point

If you're struggling to break down complex content without going beyond 3 levels of indentation, it may be best to create another list. If needed, you can utilize headings or bold text to help break down more complex content into sections. A straightforward list reduces cognitive overload and provides an overall better reading experience for everyone.