What is an accessible table?
In order or create an accessible table you need to use a simple table structure with column headers. You must also make sure the table doesn't contain split cells, merged cells, or nested tables.
The Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker (opens in a new window) will list any accessibility issues in your document, including tables.
You can also visually scan your tables to check that they don't have any completely blank rows or columns.
Why do it?
Badly created tables can cause difficulties for screen readers or for those tabbing through information on a web page or a document.
If a table is nested (built within another table) or if a cell is merged or split, the screen reader can’t provide helpful information.
Blank cells in a table could also mislead a screen reader into thinking that there is nothing more in the table.
Screen readers use column header information to identify rows and columns.
SCULPT by Helen Wilson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on work at Worcestershire County Council.