| Left column | Right column |
|---|---|
| The application must include your name. | The decision will be emailed to you. |
| Attach a certificate from the school. | Processing normally takes two weeks. |
Sources: [1]
If export takes the first left-hand line, then the first right-hand line, then the next left-hand line, it mixes two different parts of the instructions. Longer paragraphs can also be interrupted mid-sentence.
Before
Name → decision by email → certificate → processing time.
After
Name → certificate → decision by email → processing time.
Why this works In this example, application requirements belong together before information about the decision. The content’s relationships justify the sequence.
The first task is finding what the application must contain: the name and certificate belong together. The second is understanding how and when the decision arrives: email and processing time belong together. Alternating columns after each line forces readers to retain two different explanations at once.
On a short page this may be recoverable. In longer instructions containing conditions and exceptions, interleaving can change apparent meaning. An exception may seem to qualify the wrong rule. Assess sequence by meaning, not merely whether every word is eventually included.
The table above represents two visual columns to illustrate the problem. It does not recommend placing ordinary prose in a data table. In a corresponding PDF, these parts would be represented as headings and paragraphs.
H1 How to apply
H2 What we need
P The application must include your name.
P Attach a certificate from the school.
H2 When you will hear from us
P The decision will be emailed to you.
P Processing normally takes two weeks.Compare the plan with the tag tree. Locate each heading and paragraph and inspect its associated page content. Whole blocks in the wrong order may need structural movement. If one tag already interleaves both columns, the content needs splitting or reconstruction before a simple move will help.
Check that each text part occurs once in the meaningful structure. Reconstruction can add the correct text at a new position while retaining its old association, producing duplicated reading despite an apparently improved outline.
Where the source exists, apply the sequence plan there too. Linked frames, object order and export settings can affect the result depending on the application. Re-export the difficult page to establish whether the workflow is fixed or only one PDF copy.
Check that each text block appears exactly once in the structure. Read the transition between columns using assistive technology. Then ask: what must be submitted, and when will a decision arrive? If the order is correct but the answers remain unclear, the wording may also need work.
A table of paired comparisons can require a different sequence. Do not treat this example as a rule to always read the entire left column first.
Read the last sentence of the left column and the first of the right together. Their transition should make sense without page geometry. Now imagine adding a fact box: where could it appear without interrupting application requirements? This shows why sequence plans must adapt as layouts change.
Sources
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.