[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #17611: TwentyEleven Theme H1 Priority

[WordPress Trac]

#17611: TwentyEleven Theme H1 Priority
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 Reporter:  emiluzelac     |       Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)   |      Status:  reopened
 Priority:  normal         |   Milestone:  3.2
Component:  Bundled Theme  |     Version:  3.2
 Severity:  normal         |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  has-patch      |
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Comment (by bobeaston):

 Accessibility is the reason I would encourage using a properly structured
 outline of heading tags. (hearty support of Elpie) Someone, somewhere
 (reference not at hand at the moment) recently bemoaned that only about
 half of screen reader users actually use the heading identification
 feature of their screen readers. The other part of that half-full glass is
 that almost half DO use the features. In a world of feature rich, and
 sometimes too-rich, software, a feature that gains usage by half the users
 is impressive.

 Knowing the intended heading level is a way for the blind user to
 understand the relative importance of a bit of content. For those who have
 never experienced a screen reader, one of the features is to navigate from
 heading to heading by pressing a "heading hot key." At each heading the
 level is announced, followed by the actual text. It is provides a very
 fast way off gaining the sense of a document without having to listen to
 every bit being read ... much like the visual scan many of us can perform
 every tine we open a new page. Having everything shout "Hey, look at me.
 I'm the most important." is a sure recipe for confusion. In this regard,
 blind users and SEO are very similar.

 The HTML5 outline algorithm might someday give us relief in this area, but
 it is FAR too early to consider it even half done, let alone ready to eat.
 Few browsers accommodate it so far, and even fewer screen readers.

 Vote for the people who need every accessibility option we can
 accommodate. Use as good a heading structure as we know how, and let the
 HTML5 stuff cook until it's done.

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Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/17611#comment:51>
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