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RE: Navigation lists and headers - best practise?

for

From: Jon Gunderson
Date: Aug 25, 2006 2:10PM

Mike,
Rule 2 should have added the phrase that headers should be properly nested after the LAST h1 element on the page.

h1 is reserved for titling and titles typically many developers want to have both parts of a title as h1s.

The two parts of a title:
Part 1: Website title
Part 2: Sub page title

In general I think h1 should only be used for sub page information, but other developers and accessibility people we have talked to feel that the website title information should also be an h1. So that is why we feel there can be 2 h1s on a resource, both still need to be a subset of the TITLE element.

The website information is usually in the banner of the web page top and the sub page information usually right be for the content. So there can be other content like navigaiton bars, contact information and other stuff between the h1s. This is why we don't start looking for propoer nesting until after the last h1.

Jon



---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 10:34:08 -0500
>From: "Moore, Michael" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>Subject: RE: [WebAIM] Navigation lists and headers - best practise?
>To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>
>Jon,
>
>My comments are in-line below:
>
>
>These are the header rules we are using with the Functional
>Accessibility Evaluator[1]:
>
>Section Headings
>Rule 1: Header elements should preceed lists that are primarily links
>(Navigation bars)
>Good Idea
>
>Rule 2: Each page should have a unique h1 element and header elements
>that follow it should be properly nested.
><comment>
>Not necessary, may not be desirable particularly when seeking to meet
>the requirements of Rule 1, unless I misunderstand and you do allow a
>freestanding h2 outside of the h1 structure.</comment>
>
>Rule 3: The percentage of text content contained in header elements
>(h1..h6) should range between approximately 3 and 9.
><comment>
>Not sure I understand this, if the desire is to keep the headings
>succinct then there may be a better measure. If the idea is to make
>sure that each block of content is at least 10 times that of the length
>of its header that does not seem to encourage an efficient writing
>style. Of course for folks as wordy as me that would not be a problem
>;)</comment>
>
>Rule 4: H1 content should be a subset of the TITLE element content
><comment>
>I don't agree with this either. <title>My Web Site: Home</title>
><h1>Welcome to My Web Site</h1> These are intersecting sets. A better
>rule would be H1 content should include key words contained in the
>title.</comment>
>
>Rule 5: There should be no more than 2 H1 on a web resource
><comment>
>Some would argue 1, I would argue that the printable version of a manual
>may have need for many more. This would be nice to be a configurable
>feature within the tool.</comment>
>
>
>[1] Functional Web Accessibility Evaluator http://fae.cita.uiuc.edu
>
>This is really one of the best automated tools that I have
>used.</shameless plug>
>
>Mike
>
>
>
>


Jon Gunderson, Ph.D.
Director of IT Accessibility Services
Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services (CITES)
and
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Disability Resources and Education Services (DRES)

Voice: (217) 244-5870
Fax: (217) 333-0248
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