• Success Criterion 1.3.1
  • Conformance level A

Term-Definition Pairs With No Real Definition List Markup

1.3.1 — Info and Relationships

Scenario

Setting

A real-estate marketplace's listing page

What’s wrong

Definition/description pairs presented visually without definition-list code (dl/dt/dd) or equivalent text association.

Example 

<p><strong>HOA Fee</strong></p>
<p>$220 per month, covers landscaping and pool maintenance</p>

Why it matters

A screen reader user hears HOA Fee and the amount as two separate paragraphs with no announced connection between term and definition.

How to test

Inspect term/definition pairs (e.g., a glossary) in DevTools: check for dl/dt/dd or another explicit text association — purely visual spacing/formatting fails.

How to fix

Definition list markup ties a term to its description programmatically, the way bold text and proximity only do visually.

<dl>
  <dt>HOA Fee</dt>
  <dd>$220 per month, covers landscaping and pool maintenance</dd>
</dl>

Outcome

A buyer hears HOA Fee, $220 per month announced as one linked pair while comparing listings.

Who is affected

Screen reader users comparing listing details can't tell which explanation belongs to which term at a glance.

Learn more

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