2.7 Tables

Screen Reader Interaction

Screen readers read column and row headers to provide the listener with information on the tables' content and structure.

Solutions

• Use tables for data that fits well into rows and columns.

• Do not use tables for formatting pages, links, or other information.

• Always use table headers to describe the contents of the table columns.

• The table headers should clearly communicate the data below them.

• Avoid spanned rows as screen readers may not properly parse them.

Example

Here is an example default 3x2 table with a header created within LibGuide's rich text editor. It's key you identify which row or column is the table header.

State	State Capital
Ohio	Columbus
Indiana	Indianapolis
Kentucky	Frankfort

Identify which row or column acts as the headers with the table properties tool

Source: Boston College LibGuides Accessibility Guide

Video tutorial

Do you need to use a data table on your web page? If so, learn how to appropriately format table content to ensure everyone can understand your data.

Read more...

• Table Best Practices: A WebAIM tutorial