Document headings are critical to digital accessibility. They create a logical outline for all readers and allow people using assistive technology (such as screen readers) to navigate the content efficiently.
Why Headings Matter
The Problem: Screen reader users often set their software to read quickly and ignore changes in font, color, or size. Without tags, all text sounds exactly the same, even if it “looks” like a heading.
The Solution: Screen readers allow users to pull up a list of headings to navigate directly to relevant sections, much like a sighted reader skims a page. When the built-in heading feature is used, the software inserts a style tag (such as <h1> or <h2>) into the document code to designate headings.
The “Need to Know” on Headings
Follow these core principles to use headings easily and effectively:
- Use Built-In Styles: Use the Styles menu to embed the HTML code for screen readers to identify a heading instead of manually bolding or enlarging text.
- Use a Logical Flow: Treat headings like a Table of Contents.
- Heading 1 (H1): The Title. Use only one per document.
- Heading 2 (H2): Major sections.
- Heading 3 (H3): Sub-sections under H2.
- Heading 4 (H4): Deep sub-sections under H3. This is the lowest level recommended.
- Never Skip Levels: Move in order (H1, H2, H3, H4). You can go backwards to start a new section (e.g., H3, H2), but jumping from H2 to H4 makes users think they missed a section.
- Be Descriptive & Concise: Aim for 5–8 words. Headings should be clear enough to make sense even when read out of context.
- Normalize Headings: Using headings ensures your document is "accessibility-ready" for future publication without the need for last-minute fixes.
Follow the steps below to add accessible headers.
What is the software you are using?
Google Products Guide
Highlight the text you want to turn into a heading (1), and customize formatting to your liking by using format options on the tool bar (2).
In the top toolbar, click the drop-down of the "Styles" tool (usually says “Normal text”) (1).
Select a heading style (H1 - H4) (2).
Highlight the heading and format it visually (bold, italicized, underline etc.). Then select “Update Heading to Match” in the Styles Menu to apply that look to the entire document (3).
If you do not have H4 listed, highlight the text and select ctrl + alt + 4 on your keyboard.
In the Styles menu (1) select "Options" (2), and choose “Save as my default styles” (3) for all future documents.
Congratulations, you have created an accessible Google Slide.
Slides uses a Master Slide to identify the reading order.
Access the Master Slide by selecting "Slide" (1) in the menu bar, and then selecting “Edit theme" (2).
Edit the theme and layouts on each slide (1) you intend to use. Utilize the "Tool Bar" to format text boxes (2). When finished select the X (3).
Use the provided Title, Subtitle, and Body placeholders on the slide layout. Adding additional text boxes (floating text boxes) outside of the Master Slide editing mode, can cause screen readers to read content out of order.
All formatting edits are recommended to be performed in the Master Slide to be fully accessible.
Select the "Slide" (1) drop-down menu from the tool bar, and then hover over “Apply Layout” (2) to choose a layout option (3).
Repeat this process for every slide.
The layout edits were performed in the master slide in the Edit Theme step (Step 2).
Each slide should have a unique title (1). For multiple slides on the same topic, add clarifiers (e.g., “Slide 1 of 2”) (2).
Congratulations, you have created an accessible Google Slide.
Sheets uses Header Rows to give context to data cells. This notifies screen readers that Row 1 is the organizational header for all data below it.
Use Row 1 for column titles (e.g., Name, Date, ID).
Select row 1 (1), navigate to “View" (2) in the menu bar, and select “Freeze" (3) then select "1 row" (4).
Congratulations, you have created an accessible Google Sheet.
Microsoft Products Guide
Highlight the text you intend to be your heading.
On the “Home” tab (1), choose a level from the “Styles” gallery (2).
Microsoft Word reveals H3 only after you use H2, and H4 after you use H3.
Right-click on a the heading style in the Styles gallery (1), and select “Modify” (2) to update the style formatting in the entire document.
In the example below Tahoma font, font size 16, bold, and underlined was applied to all future Heading 1 styles (1) . Select "OK" to apply settings (2).
Go to the “Design” (1) tab and select “Set as Default” (2) to apply these styles to all new documents select "Yes" (3) in the dialog box.
Congratulations, you have created an accessible Microsoft Word Document.
PowerPoint uses Slide Masters to identify the reading order.
Select "View" in the Menu Tab (1). In the ribbon select “Slide Master" (2).
Select the "Home" tab (1) to edit the Office Theme Slide Master (2). Use formatting options (3) to edit the header levels (4).
Here you are able to make global formatting changes. Use the provided Title, Subtitle, and Content placeholders. Avoid adding manual text boxes, as screen readers often skip them or read them out of sequence.
Once done editing, navigate to Slide Master and select "Close Master View" on the ribbon.
Every slide must have a unique titles. For multiple slides on one topic, add clarifying information (e.g., “Slide 1 of 2”).
Congratulations, now you can build your presentation by using the pre-set accessible slides you just created.
Excel uses Table Headers to link data cells to their labels so users understand the context of each number.
Use Row 1 to add a title to each column (e.g., Name, Date, ID).
Highlight the cells you wish to be your table header (1) and go to “Insert” (2) and select “Table” (3) to ensure “My table has headers” (4) is checked before selecting "OK."
This tags the top row as the structural header.
To keep headers visible and clear freeze Row 1.
Highlight row 1 (1), select the “View” (2) tab in the Tool Bar, the select selecting “Freeze Panes" (3), and chose "Freeze Top Row" (4).
Congratulations, you have created an accessible Excel Sheet.