Accessibility results - Alternate text and headings

Advice on which issues can be solved automatically by clicking Fix is available in online Help. This also provides guidance for manually resolving issues.

  • 4-1: Do all figures and diagrams have alternate texts?

    Alternate text are added to diagrams, tables or images, so that people unable to see the display receive a text description of the element. The text should summarize the content and purpose of the element.

    Solution: Select tagged objects with the Edit Object tool in the Edit tab, right click, select Properties in the context menu, and enter alternate text in the Tag panel.

  • 4-2: Do both parents and any of their children have alternate texts?

    Screen readers cannot read the alternate text for nested elements. For instance, if a top-level (parent) form element has alternate text, it will hide any alternate text added to form elements that are children of that parent.

    Solution: Be sure your alternate text is supplied to elements at only one level in a nesting hierarchy.

  • 4-3: Is all alternate text linked to a screen element?

    Make sure that alternate text is always an alternate representation for content on the page. If an element has alternate text, but does not contain any page content, there is no way to determine which page it is on. If the Screen Reader Option in the Reading preferences is not set to read the entire document, then screen readers never read the alternate text.

  • 4-4: Does any alternate text hide annotations?

    Alternate text must not hide an annotation. If an annotation is nested under a parent element with alternate text, then screen readers cannot see it.

  • 4-5: Do all document elements have alternate text?

    This report checks for content other than figures that requires alternate text (such as multimedia, annotation, links, or 3D models). Make sure that alternate text is always an alternate representation for content on the page. If an element has alternate text but does not contain any page content, there is no way to determine which page it is on.

  • 4-6: Are all headings in a logical hierarchy?

    This rule checks nested headings. When this check fails, headings do not have a logical hierarchy. For a logical hierarchy of headings, keep to the following rules when tagging:

    • In the Tags tree, the first heading element must be an H. Other heading elements (H1-H6) cannot start the hierarchy.

    • The heading hierarchy must be continuous as stepping downwards. For example, H4 should come after an H3, and not after an H2.

      Note This rule should not be reversed. For example, an H1 cannot follow an H6.

    Solution: Click Edit > Convert to Editable to go to Advanced Edit mode and use the Document Map panel to view the heading hierarchy.