W3C

HTML Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0

W3C Working Draft 15 June 2000

This version:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WD-WCAG10-HTML-TECHS-20000615
(plain text, postscript, pdf, gzip tar file of HTML, zip archive of HTML)
Latest version:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG10
Editors:
Wendy Chisholm, W3C,
Gregg Vanderheiden, Trace R & D Center, University of Wisconsin -- Madison
Ian Jacobs, W3C

Abstract

This document describes techniques for satisfying the checkpoints of "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0" when authoring HTML [HTML40]. The sections are organized by topic (and mirror the organization of the HTML 4.0 specification, [HTML40]).

An index of HTML elements and attributes provides information about all elements of HTML 4.0 and all attributes that affect accessibility directly. For each element, the index includes links to techniques that refer to it.

This document is part of a series of accessibility documents published by the Web Accessibility Initiative.

Status of this document

This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. Other documents may supersede this document. The latest status of this document series is maintained at the W3C.

While Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 strives to be a stable document (as a W3C Recommendation), the current document is expected to evolve as technologies change and content developers discover more effective techniques for designing accessible Web sites and pages.

This is a W3C Working Draft for review by W3C Members and other interested parties. It is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use W3C Working Drafts as reference material or to cite them as other than "work in progress". This is work in progress and does not imply endorsement by, or the consensus of, either W3C or participants in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Working Group.

This document has been produced as part of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. The goal of the Web Content Guidelines Working Group is discussed in the Working Group charter.

A list of current W3C Recommendations and other technical documents can be found at http://www.w3.org/TR.

Please send detailed comments on this document to wai-wcag-editor@w3.org.

To do

Table of Contents


1 Document structure and metadata

Content developers should use structural markup and use it according to specification. Structural elements and attribute (refer to the index of HTML elements and attributes to identify them) promote consistency in documents and supply information to other tools (e.g., indexing tools, search engines, programs that extract tables to databases, navigation tools that use header elements, and automatic translation software that translates text from one language into another.

1.1 Metadata

Checkpoints in this section:

Some structural elements provide information about the document itself. This is called "metadata" about the document -- Metadata is information about data. Well-crafted metadata can provide important orientation information to users. HTML elements that provide useful information about a document include:

1.1.1 TITLE: The document title.

Note that the (mandatory) TITLE element, which only appears once in a document, is different from the "title" attribute, which applies to almost every HTML 4.0 element. Content developers should use the "title" attribute in accordance with the HTML 4.0 specification. For example, "title" should be used with links to provide information about the target of the link.

1.1.2 The ADDRESS element

This element can be used to provide information about the creator of the page.

1.1.3 The META element

This element can specify metadata for a document including keywords, and information about the author. Please refer to the section on automatic page refresh for information on why META should not be used to redirect or auto-refresh pages.

The following are deprecated HTML examples. The first changes the user's page at page at regular intervals. Content developers should not use this technique to simulate "push" technology. Developers cannot predict how much time a user will require to read a page; premature refresh can disorient users. Content developers should avoid periodic refresh and allow users to choose when they want the latest information.

Deprecated example.

<META http-equiv="refresh" content="60">
<BODY>
<P>...Information...
</BODY>

The following HTML example (using the META element) forwards the user from one page to another after a timeout. However, users should not redirect users with this markup since is non-standard, it disorients users, and it can disrupt a browser's history of visited pages.

Deprecated example.

<HEAD>
<TITLE>Don't use this!</TITLE>
<META http-equiv="refresh" content="5;
         http://www.acme.com/newpage">
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<P>If your browser supports Refresh,
you'll be transported to our
<A href="http://www.acme.com/newpage">new site</A>
in 5 seconds, otherwise, select the link manually.
</BODY>

1.1.4 The !DOCTYPE statement

Checkpoints in this section:

Validating to a published formal grammar and declaring that validation at the beginning of a document let's the user know that the structure of the document is sound. It also let's the user agent know where to look for semantics if it needs to. The W3C Validation Service validates documents against a whole list of published grammars.

It is preferable to validate to W3C grammars. Refer to the Accessibility Reviewed Technologies.

@@link to XML techniques when ready

1.1.5 The LINK element and navigation tools

Checkpoints in this section:

Content developers should use the LINK element and link types (refer to [HTML40], section 6.12) to describe document navigation mechanisms and organization. Some user agents may synthesize navigation tools or allow ordered printing of a set of documents based on such markup.

Example.

The following LINK elements might be included in the head of chapter 2 of a book:

   <LINK rel="Next" href="chapter3">
   <LINK rel="Previous" href="chapter1">
   <LINK rel="Start" href="cover">
   <LINK rel="Glossary" href="glossary">

End example.

1.2 Structural grouping

Checkpoints in this section:

The following HTML 4.0 mechanisms group content and make it easier to understand.:

All of these grouping mechanisms should be used when appropriate and natural, i.e., when the information lends itself to logical groups. Content developers should not create groups randomly, as this will confuse all users.

1.2.1 Section headers

Checkpoints in this section:

Long documents are often divided into a variety of chapters, chapters have subtopics and subtopics are divided into various sections, sections into paragraphs, etc. These semantic chunks of information make up the structure of the document.

Sections should be introduced with the HTML header elements (H1-H6). Other markup may complement these elements to improve presentation (e.g., the HR element to create a horizontal dividing line), but visual presentation is not sufficient to identify document sections.

Since some users skim through a document by navigating its headings, it is important to use them appropriately to convey document structure. Users should order heading elements properly. For example, in HTML, H2 elements should follow H1 elements, H3 elements should follow H2 elements, etc. Content developers should not "skip" levels (e.g., H1 directly to H3). Do not use headings to create font effects; use style sheets to change font styles for example.

Note that in HTML, heading elements (H1 - H6) only start sections, they don't contain them as element content. The following HTML markup shows how style sheets may be used to control the appearance of a header and the content that follows:

Example.

   <HEAD>
   <TITLE>Cooking techniques</TITLE>
   <STYLE type="text/css">
      /* Indent header and following content */
      DIV.section2 { margin-left: 5% }
   </STYLE>
   </HEAD>
   <BODY>
   <H1>Cooking techniques</H1>
   ... some text here ...
   <DIV class="section2">
   <H2>Cooking with oil</H2>
   ... text of the section ...
   </DIV>

   <DIV class="section2">
   <H2>Cooking with butter</H2>
   ... text of the section ...
   </DIV>

End example.

See also the section on links.

2 Language information

Checkpoints in this section:

If you use a number of different languages on a page, make sure that any changes in language are clearly identified by using the "lang" attribute:

Example.

   <P>And with a certain <SPAN lang="fr">je ne sais quoi</SPAN>, 
   she entered both the room, and his life, forever. <Q>My name
   is Natasha,</Q> she said. <Q lang="it">Piacere,</Q>
   he replied in impeccable Italian, locking the door.

End example.

Identifying changes in language are important for a number of reasons:

  1. Users who are reading the document in braille will be able to substitute the appropriate control codes (markup) where language changes occur to ensure that the braille translation software will generate the correct characters (accented characters, for instance). These control codes also prevent braille contractions from being generated, which could further confuse the user. Braille contractions combine commonly used groups of characters that usually appear in multiple cells into a single cell. For example, "ing" which usually takes up three cells (one for each character) can be contracted into a single cell.
  2. Similarly, speech synthesizers that "speak" multiple languages will be able to generate the text in the appropriate accent with proper pronunciation. If changes are not marked, the synthesizer will try its best to speak the words in the primary language it works in. Thus, the French word for car, "voiture" would be pronounced "voter."
  3. Users who are unable to translate between languages themselves, will be able to have unfamiliar languages translated by machine translators.

It is also good practice to identify the primary language of a document, either with markup (as shown below) or through HTTP headers.

Example.

    <HTML lang="fr">
       ....rest of an HTML document written in French...
    </HTML>

End example.

3 Text markup

The following sections discuss ways to add structure to pieces of text.

3.1 Emphasis

Checkpoints in this section:

The proper HTML elements should be used to mark up emphasis: EM and STRONG. The B and I elements should not be used; they are used to create a visual presentation effect. The EM and STRONG elements were designed to indicate structural emphasis that may be rendered in a variety of ways (font style changes, speech inflection changes, etc.)

3.2 Acronyms and abbreviations

Checkpoints in this section:

Mark up abbreviations and acronyms with ABBR and ACRONYM and use "title" to indicate the expansion:

Example.

   <P>Welcome to the <ACRONYM title="World Wide Web">WWW</ACRONYM>!

End example.

3.3 Quotations

Checkpoints in this section:

The Q and BLOCKQUOTE elements mark up inline and block quotations, respectively.

Example.

This example marks up a longer quotation with BLOCKQUOTE:

   <BLOCKQUOTE cite="http://www.shakespeare.com/loveslabourlost">
     <P>Remuneration! O! that's the Latin word for three farthings.
        --- William Shakespeare (Love's Labor Lost).
     </P>
   </BLOCKQUOTE>

End example.

3.4 Markup and style sheets rather than images: The example of math

Checkpoints in this section:

Using markup (and style sheets) where possible rather than images (e.g., a mathematical equation) promotes accessibility for the following reasons:

As an example, consider these techniques for putting mathematics on the Web:

TeX is commonly used to create technical papers which are then converted to HTML for publication on the Web. However, converters tend to generate images, use deprecated markup, and use tables for layout. Consequently, content providers should:

  1. Make the original TeX (or LaTeX) document available on the Web. There is a system called "AsTeR" ([ASTER]) that can create an auditory rendition of TeX and LaTeX documents. Also, IBM has a plug-in for Netscape and Internet Explorer that reads TeX/LaTeX documents and some of MathML (refer to [HYPERMEDIA]).
  2. Ensure that the HTML created by the conversion process is accessible. Provide a single description of the equation (rather than "alt" text on every generated image as there may be small images for bits and pieces of the equation).

3.5 Eight other structural elements (to identify citations, code fragments, deleted text, and others)

The HTML 4.0 specification defines the following structural elements for miscellaneous markup needs:

CITE
Contains a citation or a reference to other sources.
DFN
Indicates that this is the defining instance of the enclosed term.
CODE
Designates a fragment of computer code.
SAMP
Designates sample output from programs, scripts, etc.
KBD
Indicates text to be entered by the user.
VAR
Indicates an instance of a variable or program argument.
INS
Indicates text inserted into a document.
DEL
Indicates text deleted from a document.

4 Lists

Checkpoints in this section:

The HTML list elements DL, UL, and OL should only be used to create lists, not for formatting effects such as indentation.

refer to info on css and tables for layout @@links

Ordered lists help non-visual users navigate. Non-visual users may "get lost" in lists, especially in nested lists and those that do not indicate the specific nest level for each list item. Until user agents provide a means to identify list context clearly (e.g., by supporting the ':before' pseudo-element in CSS2), content developers should include contextual clues in their lists.

For numbered lists, compound numbers are more informative than simple numbers. Thus, a list numbered "1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.2.1, 1.3, 2, 2.1," provides more context than the same list without compound numbers, which might be formatted as follows:

1.
  1.
  2.
    1.
  3.
2.
  1.

and would be spoken as "1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1", conveying no information about list depth.

[CSS1] and [CSS2] allow users to control number styles (for all list, not just ordered) through user style sheets.

Example.

The following CSS2 style sheet shows how to specify compound numbers for nested lists created with either UL or OL elements. Items are numbered as "1", "1.1", "1.1.1", etc.

<STYLE type="text/css">
   UL, OL { counter-reset: item }
   LI { display: block }
   LI:before { content: counters(item, "."); counter-increment: item }
</STYLE>

End example.

Until either CSS2 is widely supported or user agents allow users to control rendering of lists through other means, authors should consider providing contextual clues in unnumbered nested lists. Non-visual users may have difficulties knowing where a list begins and ends and where each list item starts. For example, if a list entry wraps to the next line on the screen, it may appear to be two separate items in the list. This may pose a problem for legacy screen readers.

4.1 Use style sheets to change list bullets

To change the "bullet" style of unordered list items created with the LI element, use style sheets. In CSS, it is possible to specify a fallback bullet style (e.g., 'disc') if a bullet image cannot be loaded.

Example.

<HEAD>
<TITLE>Using style sheets to change bullets</TITLE>
<STYLE type="text/css">
   UL { list-style: url(star.gif) disc }
</STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<UL>
   <LI>Audrey
   <LI>Laurie
   <LI>Alice
</UL>

End example.

To further ensure that users understand differences between list items indicated visually, content developers should provide a text label before or after the list item phrase:

Example.

In this example, new information is communicated through text ("New"), font style (bold), and color (yellow bullet, red text on yellow background).

<HEAD>
<TITLE>Bullet styles example</TITLE>
<STYLE type="text/css">
   .newtxt { font-weight: bold;
             color: red;
             background-color: yellow }
   .newbullet { list-style : url(yellow.gif) disc }
</STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<UL>
   <LI class="newbullet">Roth IRA <SPAN class="newtext">New</SPAN></LI>
   <LI> 401(k)</LI>
</UL>
</BODY>

End example.

4.1.1 Images used as bullets

Checkpoints in this section:

Avoid using images as bullets in definition lists created with DL, DT, and DD. However, if this method is used, be sure to provide a text equivalent for the images.

Deprecated example.

<HEAD>
<TITLE>Deprecated example using image in DL lists</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<DL>
   <DD><IMG src="star.gif" alt="* ">Audrey
   <DD><IMG src="star.gif" alt="* ">Laurie
   <DD><IMG src="star.gif" alt="* ">Alice
</DL>

Content developers should avoid list styles where bullets provide additional (visual) information. However, if this is done, be sure to provide a text equivalent describing meaning of the bullet:

Deprecated example.

<DL>
<DD><IMG src="red.gif" alt="New:">Roth IRA</DD>
<DD><IMG src="yellow.gif" alt="Old:">401(k)</DD>
</DL>

5 Tables

This section discusses the accessibility of tables and elements that one can put in a TABLE element. Two types of tables are discussed: tables used to organize data, and tables used to create a visual layout of the page.

5.1 Tables of data

Checkpoints in this section:

Content developers may make HTML 4.0 data tables more accessible in a number of ways:

This markup will also help browsers linearize tables (also called table "serialization"). A row-based linear version may be created by reading the row header, then preceding each cell with the cell's column header. Or, the linearization might be column-based. Future browsers and assistive technologies will be able to automatically translate tables into linear sequences or navigate a table cell by cell if data is labeled appropriately. The WAI Evaluation and Repair working group is tracking the progress of tools as well as developing their own that will allow users to linearize or navigate tables cell by cell. Refer to [[WAI-ER]] and the following section on creating linearized versions of tables @@link.

For information about table headers, refer to the table header algorithm and discussion in the HTML 4.0 Recommendation ([HTML40], section 11.4.3).

Example.

This example shows how to associate data cells (created with TD) with their corresponding headers by means of the "headers" attribute. The "headers" attribute specifies a list of header cells (row and column labels) associated with the current data cell. This requires each header cell to have an "id" attribute.

   <TABLE border="1" 
          summary="This table charts the number of
                   cups of coffee consumed by each senator,  
                   the type of coffee (decaf or regular),
                   and whether taken with sugar.">
     <CAPTION>Cups of coffee consumed by each senator</CAPTION>
     <TR>   
         <TH id="header1">Name</TH>
         <TH id="header2">Cups</TH>     
         <TH id="header3" abbr="Type">Type of  Coffee</TH>   
         <TH id="header4">Sugar?</TH>
     <TR>  
         <TD headers="header1">T. Sexton</TD>  
         <TD headers="header2">10</TD>
         <TD headers="header3">Espresso</TD>
         <TD headers="header4">No</TD>  
     <TR>  
         <TD headers="header1">J. Dinnen</TD> 
         <TD headers="header2">5</TD>
         <TD headers="header3">Decaf</TD>
        <TD headers="header4">Yes</TD>
  </TABLE>

End example.

A speech synthesizer might render this tables as follows:

  Caption: Cups of coffee consumed by each senator
  Summary: This table charts the number of cups of coffee
           consumed by each senator, the type of coffee
          (decaf or regular), and whether taken with sugar.
  Name: T. Sexton, Cups: 10, Type: Espresso, Sugar: No
  Name: J. Dinnen, Cups: 5, Type: Decaf, Sugar: Yes

A visual user agent might render this table as follows:

Illustration of coffee table rendering [Description of coffee table]

The next example associates the same header (TH) and data (TD) cells as before, but this time uses the "scope" attribute rather than "headers". "Scope" must have one of the following values: "row", "col", "rowgroup", or "colgroup." Scope specifies the set of data cells to be associated with the current header cell. This method is particularly useful for simple tables. It should be noted that the spoken rendering of this table would be identical to that of the previous example. A choice between the "headers" and "scope" attributes is dependent on the complexity of the table. It does not affect the output so long as the relationships between header and data cells are made clear in the markup.

Example.

   <TABLE border="1" 
          summary="This table charts ...">  
      <CAPTION>Cups of coffee consumed by each senator</CAPTION>
      <TR>  
           <TH scope="col">Name</TH>
           <TH scope="col">Cups</TH>
           <TH scope="col" abbr="Type">Type of Coffee</TH>  
           <TH scope="col">Sugar?</TH>
     <TR>  
           <TD>T. Sexton</TD>  <TD>10</TD>
           <TD>Espresso</TD>   <TD>No</TD>
     <TR>  
           <TD>J. Dinnen</TD>  <TD>5</TD>
           <TD>Decaf</TD>       <TD>Yes</TD>
  </TABLE>

End example.

The following example shows how to create categories within a table using the "axis" attribute.

Example.

   <TABLE border="1">
     <CAPTION>Travel Expense Report</CAPTION>
     <TR>  
          <TH></TH>  
          <TH id="header2" axis="expenses">Meals
          <TH id="header3" axis="expenses">Hotels
          <TH id="header4" axis="expenses">Transport
          <TD>subtotals</TD>    
     <TR>  
          <TH id="header6" axis="location">San Jose
          <TH> <TH> <TH> <TD> 
     <TR>  
         <TD id="header7" axis="date">25-Aug-97
         <TD headers="header6 header7 header2">37.74
         <TD headers="header6 header7 header3">112.00
         <TD headers="header6 header7 header4">45.00
         <TD>
     <TR>  
         <TD id="header8" axis="date">26-Aug-97
         <TD headers="header6 header8 header2">27.28
         <TD headers="header6 header8 header3">112.00
         <TD headers="header6 header8 header4">45.00 
         <TD>
     <TR>  
         <TD>subtotals 
         <TD>65.02
         <TD>224.00
         <TD>90.00
         <TD>379.02
     <TR>   
         <TH id="header10" axis="location">Seattle
         <TH> <TH> <TH> <TD>
     <TR>  
         <TD id="header11" axis="date">27-Aug-97
         <TD headers="header10 header11 header2">96.25
         <TD headers="header10 header11 header3">109.00
         <TD headers="header10 header11 header4">36.00
         <TD>
     <TR>  
         <TD id="header12" axis="date">28-Aug-97
         <TD headers="header10 header12 header2">35.00
         <TD headers="header10 header12 header3">109.00
         <TD headers="header10 header12 header4">36.00 
         <TD>
     <TR>  
         <TD>subtotals
         <TD>131.25
         <TD>218.00
         <TD>72.00
         <TD>421.25
     <TR>   
         <TH>Totals
         <TD>196.27
         <TD>442.00
         <TD>162.00
         <TD>800.27
   </TABLE>

End example.

This table lists travel expenses at two locations: San Jose and Seattle, by date, and category (meals, hotels, and transport). The following image shows how a visual user agent might render it. [Description of travel table]

Travel Expense Report table as rendered by a visual user agent.

5.2 Tables for layout

Checkpoints in this section:

Authors should use style sheets for layout and positioning. However, when it is necessary to use a table for layout, the table must linearize in a readable order. When a table is linearized, the contents of the cells become a series of paragraphs (e.g., down the page) one after another. Cells should make sense when read in row order and should include structural elements (that create paragraphs, headers, lists, etc.) so the page makes sense after linearization.

Also, when using tables to create a layout, do not use structural markup to create visual formatting. For example, the TH (table header) element, is usually displayed visually as centered, and bold. If a cell is not actually a header for a row or column of data, use style sheets or formatting attributes of the element.

5.3 Linearizing tables

Checkpoints in this section:

Tables used to lay out pages where cell text wraps pose problems for older screen readers that do not interpret the source HTML or browsers that do not allow navigation of individual table cells. These screen readers will read across the page, reading sentences on the same row from different columns as one sentence.

For example, if a table is rendered like this on the screen:

There is a 30% chance of               Classes at the University of Wisconsin 
rain showers this morning, but they    will resume on September 3rd. 
should stop before the weekend.

This might be read by a screen reader as:

There is a 30% chance of Classes at the University of Wisconsin
rain showers this morning, but they will resume on September 3rd. 
should stop before the weekend.

It is usually very simple to linearize a table used to layout a page - simply strip the table markup from the table. There are several tools that do this, and it is becoming more common for screen readers and some browsers to linearize tables.

However, linearizing data tables requires a different strategy. Since data cells rely on the information provided by surrounding and header cells, the relationship information that is available visually needs to be translated into the linear table.

@@example

again, there are tools to help produce linearized versions of data tables. @@link

Quicktest! To get a better understanding of how a screen reader would read a table, run a piece of paper down the page and read your table line by line.

5.4 Backward compatibility issues for tables

In HTML 3.2 browsers, the rows of a TFOOT element will appear before the table body.

6 Links

6.1 Link text

Checkpoints in this section:

Good link text should not be overly general; don't use "click here." Not only is this phrase device-dependent (it implies a pointing device) it says nothing about what is to be found if the link if followed. Instead of "click here", link text should indicate the nature of the link target, as in "more information about sea lions" or "text-only version of this page". Note that for the latter case (and other format- or language-specific documents), content developers are encouraged to use content negotiation instead, so that users who prefer text versions will have them served automatically.

In addition to clear link text, content developers may specify a value of the "title" attribute that clearly and accurately describes the target of the link.

If more than one link on a page shares the same link text, all those links should point to the same resource. Such consistency will help page design as well as accessibility.

If two or more links refer to different targets but share the same link text, distinguish the links by specifying a different value for the "title" attribute of each A element.

"Auditory users" -- people who are blind, have difficulty seeing, or who are using devices with small or no displays -- are unable to scan the page quickly with their eyes. To get an overview of a page or to quickly find a link, these users will often tab from one link to the next or review a list of available links on a page.

Thus, for a series of related links, include introductory information in the first link, then distinguishing information in the links that follow. This will provide context information for users reading them in sequence.

Example.

  <A href="my-doc.html">My document is available in HTML</A>,
  <A href="my-doc.pdf" title="My document in PDF">PDF</A>,
  <A href="my-doc.txt" title="My document in text">plain text</A>

End example.

When an image is used as the content of a link, specify a text equivalent for the image.

Example.

  <A href="routes.html">
     <IMG src="topo.html" 
          alt="Current routes at Boulders Climbing Gym">
  </A>

End example.

Or, if you provide link text, use a space as the "alt" attribute value of the IMG element. Note that this text will appear on the page next to the image.

Example.

  <A href="routes.html">
     <IMG src="topo.html" alt=" ">
        Current routes at Boulders Climbing Gym
  </A>

End example.

6.2 Grouping and bypassing links

Checkpoints in this section:

When links are grouped into logical sets (for example, in a navigation bar that appears on every page in a site) they should be marked up as a unit. Navigation bars are usually the first thing someone encounters on a page. For users with speech synthesizers, this means having to hear a number of links on every page before reaching the interesting content of a page. There are several ways to allow users to bypass groups of links (as users with vision do when they see the same set on each page):

In the future, user agents may allow users to skip over elements such as navigation bars.

Example.

In this example, the MAP element groups a set of links, the "title" attribute identifies it as a navigation bar (e.g., for style sheets), "tabindex" is set on an anchor following the group, and a link at the beginning of the group links to the anchor after the group. Also, note that the links are separated by non-link, printable characters (surrounded by spaces).

   <BODY>     
     <P class="nav">    
       [<A href="#how">Bypass navigation bar</A>]
       [<A href="home.html">Home</A>]
       [<A href="search.html">Search</A>]
       [<A href="new.html">New and highlighted</A>]
       [<A href="sitemap.html">Site map</A>]
     </P>     
     <H1><A name="how" tabindex="1">How to use our site</A></H1>
   <!-- content of page -->     
   </BODY>     

End example.

6.3 Keyboard access

Checkpoints in this section:

Keyboard access to active elements of a page is important for many users who cannot use a pointing device. User agents may include features that allow users to bind keyboard strokes to certain actions. HTML 4.0 also allows content developers to specify keyboard shortcuts in documents via the "tabindex" attribute. Refer to the example in the previous section for an example of "tabindex."

Example.

In this example, if the user activates the "C" key, the link will be followed.

   <A accesskey="C" href="doc.html" hreflang="en"
      title="XYZ company home page">
         XYZ company home page</A>

End example.

6.4 Anchors and targets

Checkpoints in this section:

@@include info about using target attribute on A to generate new windows. test that an unknown target causes a new window to open.

7 Images and image maps

The following sections discuss accessibility of images (including simple animations such as GIF animations) and image maps.

For information about math represented as images, refer to the section on using text markup and style sheets rather than images.

7.1 Short text equivalents for images ("alt-text")

Checkpoints in this section: