L contains the list. Each LI is a list item. Lbl holds a bullet or number, while LBody contains the item’s content. This exposes the relationship between items to assistive technology.
Use the source application’s actual list functions. Manually typed hyphens may look correct while exporting as ordinary paragraphs.
Sources: [1]
A list groups related items: supporting documents, actions in a sequence or alternatives. Readers need to identify its beginning, its items and its end. A visible bullet is only one way to signal those relationships.
Numbering may carry meaning. In instructions, 1, 2 and 3 often establish an order. In a reference list, a number may be the target of a citation elsewhere. Do not change labels merely because they look irregular; establish their purpose with the document owner.
An item may contain several sentences, paragraphs or a nested list. Each paragraph does not therefore become a new main item. If two paragraphs explain step 2, both belong inside that step’s content. Otherwise readers may mistake the explanation for another action.
L
LI
Lbl 1.
LBody Complete the application.
LI
Lbl 2.
LBody Attach the supporting documents.
LI
Lbl 3.
LBody Submit the application.If step 2 contains a list of attachments, place that nested list within the item’s content. Do not leave it as a separate list after step 3: that changes the meaning of the instructions.
A list can continue across a page break. Do not automatically split it into independent lists just because the layout moves to another page.
Consider “2. Attach the evidence” with two subitems: “proof of enrolment” and “travel receipt”. Those subitems belong to step 2. When reading continues to step 3, it should be clear that the main sequence resumes rather than requiring a third attachment.
This matters particularly across a page break. Check the end of one page together with the start of the next. A repeated header must not become a list item, and the last subitem must not leave step 2 simply because it appears at the top of a new page.
Read the list continuously and navigate between items if the assistive technology supports it. Note duplicated labels, missing items or unclear nesting. The precise announcement of item counts may vary; the important result is access to the content and its relationships.
- Is the content exposed as a list?
- Do labels and text appear in the correct sequence?
- Does the nested list belong to the correct item?
- Are decorations or bullet characters announced twice?
Sources
- PDF21: List tagsW3C
- Tagged PDF Best Practice Guide: SyntaxPDF Association
Examples are our own unless stated otherwise. These guides distinguish legal requirements, standards and practical advice. Passing an automated check is not a complete assessment of document accessibility.