Tables should be avoided when you want to simply format other content (i.e., just to line things up neatly.) Using tables just for layout purposes is not the best practice for accessibility and may make it nearly impossible for people who use assistive technologies to access the information. If you do choose to use a table to layout text on the page, make sure you lay it out so it will make sense when read from left to right. Text-to-speech software by default will read the information in a table left to right, cell by cell, and row by row.<\/p>\n
Follow these tips when creating tables to make them accessible:<\/p>\n
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- Do not use tabs or spaces to create tables. It may look like a table; however it will not be recognized as a table and can be confusing when read by assistive technologies.<\/li>\n
- Add Row and Column Headers to tables to distinguish the heading text from the data area of the table. Screen readers read simple tables efficiently when the column or row headers are clearly defined. <\/li>\n
- Repeat Row Headers if the table spans more than one page. Tables that are contained on multiple pages should have the header row repeated on each page. <\/li>\n
- When you use tables for the presentation of data, summarize the table to aid reader comprehension. This helps all students to know the high points of a table.<\/li>\n
- Break up complex tables (nested tables and merged or split cells inside of tables) into a series of simple tables. Simple tables are more usable for everyone. <\/li>\n
- The information in each cell should make sense if read without the column heading. For example, instead of entering 1, 2, 3, in a \"Chapter\" column you should enter Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, in the cells to make it clearer when read by a screen reader.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Here\u2019s an example of two accessible tables:<\/p>\n
![\"example](\"https:\/\/facultycentral.files.wordpress.com\/2014\/04\/tables-compliant.jpg?resize=443%2C289\")
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