Creating Accessible Tables
Creating Accessible Tables
Tables are an effective way of presenting data in documents and presentations. If you cannot present your data clearly in one or two sentences, consider using a table. Tables should include column titles, also known as a header row, to help structure the table so that students can easily understand the data presented.
NOTE: Avoid using tables just to make the layout of a page look a certain way. It is best to only use tables when presenting rows and columns of related information.
Include a header row - The first row of the table should state what kind of information is contained in each column (rows go across and columns go down).
Use a Simple Table Structure - A simple table has a single header at the top of each column and optionally a single header in the first column of each row.
Avoid complex tables - A complex table has multiple levels of row or column headers and headers that span multiple rows or columns with merged or split cells.
Add Alt Text to the Table - Use alt text to add a short summary of the information provided in the table so that screen reader users know what information can be found in the table.
Avoid empty cells for formatting - It may be tempting to use empty cells to visually format the table, but this practice is problematic for blind users reading the table with a screen reader.
Canvas Guide Document. (2020). Creating accessible tables in the rich content editor. Retrieved from https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-7118
Google Help Center. (2020). Make your document or presentation more accessible - docs editors help. Retrieved from https://support.google.com/docs/answer/6199477?hl=en
National Center on Disability and Access to Education(NCDAE). (2020). Cheatsheet. Retrieved from http://ncdae.org/resources/cheatsheets/
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2019). Section 508 Guide: Tagging PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Pro. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-tagging.pdf
Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM). (n.d.). Creating accessible tables. Retrieved from https://webaim.org/techniques/tables/