Headings
Screen reader users often use headings to quickly "jump" to a particular part of a page. Proper use of headings is important for maintaining page structure and enabling fast navigation.
Bad Example
All "headings" in the following example were created by applying font styles to basic paragraph text. Although they are visually identical to proper headings, screen readers will ignore them completely when reading the document structure.
Novels
Fictitious prose narrative of book length, typically representing character and action with some degree of realism.
A Study in Scarlet
A detective mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, introducing his new characters, "consulting detective" Sherlock Holmes and his friend and chronicler, Dr. John Watson, who later became two of the most famous characters in literature.
The Sign of the Four
Also called The Sign of Four, is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 stories starring the fictional detective.
Short stories
A brief work of literature, usually written in narrative prose. Emerging from earlier oral storytelling traditions in the 17th century, the short story has grown to encompass a body of work so diverse as to defy easy characterization.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. It was first published on 14 October 1892, though the individual stories had been serialised in The Strand Magazine between June 1891 and July 1892.
"A Scandal in Bohemia"
The first of Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories to be published in The Strand Magazine and the first Sherlock Holmes story illustrated by Sidney Paget.
"The Adventure of the Red-Headed League"
First appeared in The Strand Magazine in August 1891, with illustrations by Sidney Paget. Conan Doyle ranked "The Red-Headed League" second in his list of his twelve favourite Holmes stories.
Good Example
In the following example heading tags of various levels were used to logically break down the structure of the document. This significantly simplifies page navigation for screen reader users.
Novels
Fictitious prose narrative of book length, typically representing character and action with some degree of realism.
A Study in Scarlet
A detective mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, introducing his new characters, "consulting detective" Sherlock Holmes and his friend and chronicler, Dr. John Watson, who later became two of the most famous characters in literature.
The Sign of the Four
Also called The Sign of Four, is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 stories starring the fictional detective.
Short stories
A brief work of literature, usually written in narrative prose. Emerging from earlier oral storytelling traditions in the 17th century, the short story has grown to encompass a body of work so diverse as to defy easy characterization.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. It was first published on 14 October 1892, though the individual stories had been serialised in The Strand Magazine between June 1891 and July 1892.
"A Scandal in Bohemia"
The first of Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories to be published in The Strand Magazine and the first Sherlock Holmes story illustrated by Sidney Paget.
"The Adventure of the Red-Headed League"
First appeared in The Strand Magazine in August 1891, with illustrations by Sidney Paget. Conan Doyle ranked "The Red-Headed League" second in his list of his twelve favourite Holmes stories.