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Course Accessibility Checklist: Tables

Use tables for data with logical left-to-right top-to-bottom reading order.

Tables are used in documents and on websites and course sites to present data as well as to format page layout.  It is easy for a sighted person to scan a simple table for data and relationships between data elements, but tables that are created without accessibility in mind will create problems for visually impaired users who are dependent on screen readers for information.  

Tabular data should be presented in a left-to-right and top-to-bottom reading order. If you are using a table that is complex it is highly recommended that you include an explanation of the table in the text of the document.  

Unless you are skilled at HTML it is best to avoid the use of tables for layout.  

 

Designate a header row and include a title in tables.

For a table to be accessible it must have a title and a designated header row.  The header row distinguishes the heading text from the data area of the table and forces the row to repeat if the table spans over more than one page. Watch the video Structuring an Accessible Table to learn how to make your tables in Word and PowerPoint accessible. 

Wake Tech eLearning Support. Structuring an Accessible Table. YouTube. 29 March 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.