<article>
H2 Heading
Paragraph text
H3 Heading
Paragraph text
Accessibility Design Guidelines:
Semantic Page Structure
Importance and Best Practices
Semantic HTML is the foundation of Web Accessibility, bringing meaning to elements that may otherwise be invisible to those with disabilities.
Websites should be designed so that people with disabilities can easily navigate and locate content and information without any barriers.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) allows designers and developers to define page regions such as <header>, <nav>, <main>, <section> and <footer> so that those using assistive technology can comprehend page elements. Website content must reside in a region. These page regions cannot be nested in other elements so as to be clearly accessible to assistive devices.
EXAMPLE: Semantic HTML Elements
Click on the icons below to reveal the corresponding WCAG Success Criteria
<header>
<main>
<section>
H1 Heading
Paragraph text
Semantic Page Structure
The Main Semantic HTML Elements and their Descriptions
<header>
The HTML <header> element represents introductory content, typically a group of introductory or navigational aids. It may contain some heading elements but also a logo, a search form, an author name, and other elements.
<nav>
The HTML <nav> element represents a section of a page whose purpose is to provide navigation links, either within the current document or to other documents. Common examples of navigation sections are menus, tables of contents, and indexes.
<main>
The HTML <main> element represents the dominant content of the body of a document. The main content area consists of content that is directly related to or expands upon the central topic of a document, or the central functionality of an application.
<section>
The HTML <section> element represents a generic standalone section of a document, which doesn't have a more specific semantic element to represent it.
<article>
The HTML <article> element represents a self-contained composition in a document, page, application, or site, which is intended to be independently distributable or reusable (e.g., in syndication).
<footer>
The HTML <footer> element typically contains information about the author of the section, copyright data or links to related documents.
The Success Criteria for Page Structure
Who Does This Benefit?
user IconUsing Keyboards for Navigation
vision IconVisual Impairments
computer IconScreen Reader Users
brain IconCognitive and Learning Disabilities
The Related WCAG Success Criteria
1.3.1 Info and Relationships
Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text.
(Level A)
(Level A)
2.4.6 Headings and Labels
Headings and labels describe topic or purpose.
(Level AA)
(Level AA)
2.4.10 Section Headings:
Section headings are used to organize the content.
(Level AAA)
(Level AAA)