How can I make tables more accessible?
Users of screen readers cannot read tables the same way sighted users do. Sighted users can tell at a glance what column and row a given cell is associated with, but a screen reader user needs a properly coded table. To make tables usable, additional steps will need to be taken to make them accessible.
Examples of Tables: Simple Table
![](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/001/310/517/original/bf61080c-3510-4986-a15b-a21daffee5cd.png)
The image above displays a simple table: books read by two people. Only column headers are needed to identify who read which books.
Examples of Tables: Complex Table
![](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/001/310/518/original/9b6bac1d-e662-461e-9410-06be2890d9ba.png)
In the image above, there is a complex table: books read by two people each week. Both column and row headers are needed.
In the second example, a screen reader user will know that The Sound and the Fury was the book read by Tomiko on Week 3.
Steps to Making Accessible Tables
![](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/003/131/574/original/36b970bb-14ad-4a47-9eae-f324f51d69b2.png)
When adding tables, add a row and/or column to be used as a heading for each as appropriate. The table creation menu contains Headers options that allow for selecting the first row, column, or both.
Add a Caption, if necessary, to the table to inform readers of the table's content. Good examples are: "Data from recent study," "Table of inputs and outputs," etc.
Tables should only be used for tabular data, not for layout.