D2 - Lists

For Reviewers

Checking Lists

PopeTech will identify lists as ordered or unordered, and will alert if a possible list is present but not properly formatted.

The WAVE tool can alert you to "faux" lists (created manually rather than using the list tool) because you WON'T see a list icon where you should. Once you develop an eagle eye, you'll also be able to distinguish a faux list from a true list because the true list is slightly indented from the lefthand margin.

 

List Basics

Lists provide an easily understood, structured order to content. Lists can be a potential replacement for simple tables (which tend to be more difficult to navigate using a screen reader). As long as we're talking about lists, let's clarify that there are two kinds:

  • Ordered (numbered): these are used to indicate a sequence or progression
  • Unordered (bulleted): these are used for content items with no order of importance

Lists should be created using the Rich Content Editor (RCE) rather than manually (using the spacebar) so the list is properly tagged in the html code and a screen reader device can interpret it as an actual list.

Formatting Lists with Canvas' Rich Content Editor (RCE)

 screenshot of List tools in the Canvas Rich Content Editor

  1. Type the list items as separate lines of text.
  2. Highlight the list content.
  3. Click the bulleted (unordered) or numbered (ordered) list tool in the RCE.