--- layout: docs title: Accessibility description: Learn how Bootstrap supports common web standards for making sites that are accessibile to those using assistive technology. group: getting-started --- Bootstrap follows common web standards and—with minimal extra effort—can be used to create sites that are accessible to those using AT. ## Contents * Will be replaced with the ToC, excluding the "Contents" header {:toc} ## Component requirements Some common HTML elements are always in need for basic accessibility enhancements through `role`s and Aria attributes. Below is a list of some of the most frequently used ones. {% callout info %} **Heads up!** As we go through the alphas, we'll be moving more accessibility notes here with links to specific sections from other areas of the docs. {% endcallout %} ### Button groups In order for assistive technologies–such as screen readers–to convey that a series of buttons is grouped, an appropriate `role` attribute needs to be provided. For button groups, this would be `role="group"`, while toolbars should have a `role="toolbar"`. In addition, groups and toolbars should be given an explicit label, as most assistive technologies will otherwise not announce them, despite the presence of the correct `role` attribute. In the examples provided here, we use `aria-label`, but alternatives such as `aria-labelledby` can also be used. ## Skip navigation If your navigation contains many links and comes before the main content in the DOM, add a `Skip to main content` link before the navigation (for a simple explanation, see this [A11Y Project article on skip navigation links](http://a11yproject.com/posts/skip-nav-links/)). Using the `.sr-only` class will visually hide the skip link, and the .sr-only-focusable class will ensure that the link becomes visible once focused (for sighted keyboard users). {% callout danger %} Due to long-standing shortcomings/bugs in Internet Explorer (see this article on [in-page links and focus order](http://accessibleculture.org/articles/2010/05/in-page-links/)), you will need to make sure that the target of your skip link is at least programmatically focusable by adding `tabindex="-1"`. In addition, you may want to explicitly suppress a visible focus indication on the target (particularly as Chrome currently also sets focus on elements with `tabindex="-1"` when they are clicked with the mouse) with `#content:focus { outline: none; }`. Note that this bug will also affect any other in-page links your site may be using, rendering them useless for keyboard users. You may consider adding a similar stop-gap fix to all other named anchors / fragment identifiers that act as link targets. {% endcallout %} {% highlight html %} ...

{% endhighlight %} ## Nested headings When nesting headings (`

` - `

`), your primary document header should be an `

`. Subsequent headings should make logical use of `

` - `

` such that screen readers can construct a table of contents for your pages. Learn more at [HTML CodeSniffer](https://squizlabs.github.io/HTML_CodeSniffer/Standards/Section508/) and [Penn State's Accessability](http://accessibility.psu.edu/headings/). ## Additional resources - ["HTML Codesniffer" bookmarklet for identifying accessibility issues](https://github.com/squizlabs/HTML_CodeSniffer) - [The A11Y Project](http://a11yproject.com/) - [MDN accessibility documentation](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Accessibility)