dt element is misused

Compliance Data & User Impact

User Impact: Major

60% Complete

Disabilities Affected:

  • blindness
  • deafblindness

WCAG Version:
2

WCAG Levels:

  • A

WCAG Guidelines:

Solution Techniques:

Automated Test Accuracy:
Medium

Check1st Severity:
2

DRRSAG Designations:

  • general

How to Fix the Problem

Use HTML and XHTML according to their respective specifications. <dt> elements should be inside a <dl> element. They should precede a <dd> or <dt> element

The Algorithm, in Simple Terms

Engine scans for dt elements whose previous sibling is not a <dd> or <dt> element and which are not the child of a <dl> element

Why Is it Important?

Not using HTML according to the specification leads to confusion for user agents and assistive technologies that rely on correct semantic information to present a coherent representation of the page.