Formatting Lists

Lists are a common way to communicate groups of information to a reader. Lists come in two forms: ordered and unordered, and each list type should be used appropriately.  Using the list tools in Word ensures that assistive technology communicate to users that the data is grouped together.

Ordered Lists

Ordered lists inform the user that the list is linear.  Recipes and instructions often use ordered lists to make clear the order of operations in a task.

Example Ordered List

1. Register for classes
2. Pay for classes
3. Attend classes

Unordered Lists

Linearity is not important with unordered lists which are typically styled with neutral bullets.

Unordered List Example

• Pancakes are tasty
• Pancakes are even more tasty with butter
• Too much syrup makes pancakes too sweet

How to Make Lists in Word

Word provides tools to make ordered and unordered lists for editors.  Follow these steps to make programmatic lists in Word:

1. Highlight your content
2. Select the home menu
3. Find the paragraph settings
4. Select the type of list you want (ordered or unordered)

Note that while a list is selected, the list type is grey to indicate that you have successfully activated the list control.