WCAG-koptekstcontrole

Who This Tool Is Designed For

Proper heading structure is critical for screen reader users and people with cognitive disabilities who rely on document structure for navigation and comprehension. The WebAIM Screen Reader User Surveys consistently find that navigating via headings is one of the most common and most valued page navigation strategies among screen reader users. People with cognitive and learning disabilities also benefit from clear heading hierarchies, as headings provide a content outline that reduces cognitive load (W3C Cognitive Accessibility Guidance). The WHO Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities (2023) estimates that 1.3 billion people · approximately 16% of the global population · experience significant disability, many of whom use assistive technology that depends on semantic heading structure.

WCAG 2.2 Requirements

• SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships, Level A): Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined.
• SC 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks, Level A): Headings allow users to navigate between sections of content, serving as a bypass mechanism.
• SC 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels, Level AA): Headings describe the topic or purpose of the content they introduce.
• SC 2.4.10 (Section Headings, Level AAA): Section headings are used to organise the content.

Research Citations

• WebAIM (2024). "Screen Reader User Survey #10 Results." webaim.org · Consistently finds that navigating via headings is one of the most common strategies screen reader users employ to understand page structure and find content.
• Power, C., Freire, A., Petrie, H. & Swallow, D. (2012). "Guidelines are only half of the story." CHI ’12, ACM. · Found that heading structure problems were among the most frequently encountered barriers for blind users.
• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (2023). "Page Structure: Headings Tutorial." w3.org/WAI · Defines best practices for heading hierarchy, including single h1 per page and sequential nesting.
• WebAIM. "Semantic Structure: Using Headings." webaim.org · Guidance on how heading structure supports both screen reader navigation and visual scanning.
• Deque Systems. "heading-order (axe-core rule)." · Automated check: heading levels should only increase by one, ensuring a valid document outline.
• World Health Organization (2023). Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities. · An estimated 1.3 billion people (16% of the world population) experience significant disability.

Disclaimer

This tool checks heading hierarchy structure only. It does not evaluate other aspects of WCAG 2.2 compliance, such as colour contrast, keyboard accessibility, or ARIA usage. A valid heading hierarchy is a necessary but not sufficient condition for accessibility. For full WCAG 2.2 conformance, use a comprehensive audit tool (e.g., axe, WAVE, Lighthouse) alongside manual testing with assistive technology.