Making Tables in Your Documents Accessible

by Jackie Luft, Ed.D

As we have already determined, accessibility is a process. The seven steps to an accessibility process are as follows:

1. Format your document using styles.
2. Assign alternative text.
3. Make your tables accessible.
4. Utilize descriptive hyperlinks.
5. Don't use color for emphasis.
6. Consider color contrast.
7. Keep your fonts simple.

The third step, "Make your tables accessible," is a step that is simple to address, but makes a huge impact to a person using a screen reader. Screen readers are computer programs that allow the content on the computer or mobile devices to be read aloud or sent to a refreshable braille displayer. You can experience how a screen reader reads a table by watching a screen reader reading different table layouts on YouTube.

Before you even insert your table, remember:

1. Do not draw the table cells; instead, use the insert table feature.
2. Do not merge or split cells.
3. Avoid blank cells.
4. The screen reader will read character by character, so write out dates rather than using digital dates, i.e., April 4, instead of 4/4.
5. Repeat the heading for numerical data.
6. In the column for modules, instead of writing 1, 2, 3, write Module 1, Module 2, Module 3. Not all screen reader programs repeat the heading for each row.

How you organize your information in a table is also important. The screen reader will read a table like a sighted person reads words on a page in the English language. Right to left, top to bottom. Your information in your table should have headings in the top row, and supporting information in the following rows.

Once you have your table inserted and the information logically entered, you will need to make sure you have identified a header row. Select the table, select the tab "Table Design" and check the box next to "Header Row" (Figure 1.) This allows some screen reader programs to repeat the headings for each row it reads.

Next, select the table, right click, and select "Table Properties." Select the "Row" tab, be sure you uncheck the "Allow rows to break across pages" and check "Repeat header row" (Figure 2). Then, select the tab "Alternative Text" and assign an alternative text (Figure 3). Finally, right click the table, select "Insert Caption" and add a caption to your table.

Once you have taken these short steps,  your table will be read in a logical order by a screen reader.

Before you save your document, be sure to run the Accessibility Checker in Word. And you can check to see how your table is read by downloading a free screen reader software on your computer. NVDA is free for PC users, and Voice Over is automatically installed on all Apple products.

As always, you can let us know at the Online Accessibility Lab if you have any questions!

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(Figure 2) 

(Figure 3)