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. 

1. 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).

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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/