Obsolete presentational elements must not be used
Rule
deprecated-presentational-markup· Document, language & navigation · impact minor · Static + live
Why it matters
These elements were removed from HTML because they describe appearance and nothing else. Text that looks like a heading because it sits in <font size="6"> is not a heading to a screen reader, so it never appears in the heading list and cannot be navigated to — the visual structure exists only for people who can see it.
How to fix
Replace the element itself and move the styling to CSS: <center> becomes a <p> or <div> with text-align: center, <font> becomes a heading or a <span> with a class, <big> a font-size rule, <strike> becomes <del> (removed text) or <s> (no longer accurate), <tt> becomes <code> or <kbd>; delete <spacer> outright. Where the markup cannot change, role="none" (or role="presentation") on the element also clears this check: it declares the element purely presentational, which is what an accessibility widget applies at runtime. aria-hidden="true" clears it too, but hides the content from assistive technology entirely, so use it only for genuinely decorative content.
Example
<font size="6">Our products</font>
<h2>Our products</h2>
Example
<center>Welcome</center>
<p style="text-align:center">Welcome</p>
Example
<center>¹ Self-evaluation by 22 volunteers</center>
<center role="none">¹ Self-evaluation by 22 volunteers</center>
When the element itself cannot be replaced, role="none" marks it presentational and clears the check — the fix an accessibility widget applies at runtime.
WCAG success criteria
1.3.1 Info and Relationships — Level A
Structure and relationships conveyed visually (headings, lists, tables, labels, groups) must also be available programmatically.
Standards
This rule contributes to the following standards:
WCAG A EN 301 549
| Standard | Criteria |
|---|---|
| EN 301 549 | 9.1.3.1 |