List Accessibility

What is an Accessible List?

Lists are a simple but powerful way to organize information, show relationships between ideas, and make content easier to read and navigate. When formatted correctly, lists are also accessible — they’re easy for screen readers to interpret and help users who rely on assistive technology move through content efficiently. This page explains what makes a list accessible, why it matters, and how to correctly create different types of lists in HTML or common editing tools so that all users can access and understand your content.

List Guidelines

Well-structured lists improve readability and make content easier to navigate for everyone — especially for users relying on screen readers. Keep the following best practices in mind when creating lists:

• Use lists for clarity: Break up longer or more complex information into a list to make it easier to scan and understand.
• Use built-in list tools: Always create lists using your editor’s built-in list formatting or proper HTML (<ul>, <ol>, or <dl>). Avoid “fake” lists made with hyphens, line breaks, or paragraph spacing, as they are not recognized by assistive technologies.
• Choose the correct list type: Use unordered lists when order doesn’t matter, ordered lists when sequence is important, and definition lists for terms and their descriptions.
• Be concise and consistent: Keep list items short and clear. Start each item with a capital letter, and use parallel structure throughout the list.
• Use lists sparingly: Too many lists can overwhelm users and reduce readability. Use them when they enhance understanding, not just for decoration.
• Avoid excessive nesting: Deeply nested lists can be confusing for all users, especially those using screen readers. Limit nested lists to one or two levels when possible.

Choosing the Right Type of List

Before creating a list, it’s important to choose the type of list that best fits your content and purpose. Different list types serve different functions, and using the correct one helps all users — including those using assistive technology — understand the structure and meaning of your content.

• Unordered list (<ul>): Use when the order of items does not matter. These lists are typically displayed with bullet points.
• Ordered list (<ol>): Use when the sequence of items is important. These lists are typically numbered or lettered.
• Nested list: Use when you need to group related items under a single list item. Limit nesting to one or two levels for readability.
• Definition list (<dl>): Use for terms and their associated definitions or descriptions. These are especially useful for glossaries or key term explanations.

Also, be sure to create “real” lists, not “fake” ones. Lists made with hyphens, manual line breaks, or paragraph spacing may look like lists, but they lack the proper HTML structure needed for screen readers and other assistive tools to recognize and navigate them.

Unordered List

An unordered list is used when the order of items does not matter. These lists are most often displayed with bullet points and are helpful for grouping related information without implying sequence or priority.

How to create an unordered list:

• Option 1: Place your cursor on a new line and select the unordered list button from your editor’s toolbar. Type your first item and press Enter/Return to add the next one.

• Option 2: Type out your list first, then highlight it and select the unordered list button to apply proper formatting.

Ordered List

An ordered list is used when the sequence of items matters — for example, steps in a process or instructions that must be followed in order. Ordered lists are typically numbered, but they can also use letters or Roman numerals. (When letters are used, they are often used for subitems in a nested list.)

How to create an ordered list:

• Option 1: Place your cursor on a new line and select the ordered list button from your editor’s toolbar. Type your first item and press Enter/Return to add the next one.

• Option 2: Type out your list first, then highlight it and select the ordered list button to apply proper formatting.

Nested List

A nested list is a list within another list. It’s used to show hierarchy or relationships between items — for example, sub-steps in a process or related details grouped under a main point. Nested lists can be created with either unordered or ordered lists, depending on the content and context.

How to create a nested list:

• Create a list item as usual.
• Press Enter/Return to start a new line, then press Tab to indent and begin your nested list.
• Continue typing nested items, pressing Enter/Return after each one.
• To return to the main list, press Enter/Return twice (once to end the nested item, and once more to return to the outer level).

Definition List

A definition list is used to pair terms with their corresponding definitions or descriptions. This format is especially useful for glossaries, vocabulary sections, or anywhere you want to present key terms and their explanations together. Unlike unordered or ordered lists, definition lists do not use bullet points or numbers — instead, they rely on semantic HTML tags that define the relationship between terms and definitions.

How to create a definition list:

• Use the <dl> (definition list) element to wrap the list.
• Use <dt> (definition term) for each item you are defining.
• Use <dd> (definition description) directly below each <dt> to provide the definition or explanation.

Some text editors don’t include built-in tools for creating definition lists, so you may need to add them using the HTML view.

Key Takeaway

Accessible lists do more than organize information — they make your content clearer, easier to navigate, and usable by everyone. By choosing the right type of list, using proper HTML or built-in formatting tools, and following accessibility best practices, you ensure that all users can understand and interact with your content with ease. Thoughtful, well-structured lists improve the experience for every reader.