Simple tables can be used to organize data in rows and columns. Tables must have descriptive columns and/or row headers to describe the data.
Impact
Tables organize information in a simple, easy to use format. For sighted users, reading the column and row headings provides a starting point to understand how the data is presented. Screen readers can only announce each cell one at a time, reading from left to right, top to bottom. If the table headers are not properly assigned to cells, the user will not be able to understand what the data in each cell represents.
What to do
- Use simple tables to organize data.
- Use table formatting tools to create the table and designate column and/or row headers.
- Use a descriptive caption or alt text to provide a description of the table.
Things to avoid
- Don’t create tables without headers.
- Don’t use tables to lay out the content of a page or space out images.
- Don’t leave any cells blank. Screen reader software might skip the blank cell which could result in mismatches between the header rows and cell data.
- Screen readers keep track of their location within a table by counting cells. For this reason, it’s important that the table does not contain merged cells, split cells or nested tables.