{"id":1408,"date":"2019-06-18T11:34:39","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T15:34:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.umaine.edu\/userguide\/?p=1408"},"modified":"2019-07-01T11:40:49","modified_gmt":"2019-07-01T15:40:49","slug":"accessibility-and-tables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/userguide\/2019\/06\/18\/accessibility-and-tables\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessibility and tables"},"content":{"rendered":"

Web accessibility has always been a requirement for 91¸£Àû websites, and Digital Communications has been increasing efforts to improve the accessibility of web content on\u00a0umaine.edu<\/a>. The term “accessibility” refers to our efforts to remove barriers that prevent access to websites by people who have a disability. This month, we explain how to address accessibility in tables.<\/p>\n

Do not use tables for layout<\/h3>\n

Before we detail how to create an accessible table, it’s important to note that tables should be used sparingly on a website. For layout needs such as columns of text, it is more appropriate to use content blocks on the page instead of tables.<\/p>\n

When to use tables<\/h3>\n

Tables should be used when it’s necessary to present information in a grid, where columns and\/or rows have a consistent topic or meaning. These tables can be added to a page using this button in the text editor toolbar:<\/p>\n

\"screenshot<\/p>\n

This tool works much the same as it does in Google Docs or Microsoft Word, offering a visual grid for selecting the number of rows and columns.<\/p>\n

Identify row and column headers<\/h3>\n

\"screenshotTo help readers understand the information in your table, headers are required, and those need to be properly identified as headers. Once your table is created, put your cursor in a cell that you want to designate as a header, and select either the “Cell” or “Row” option in the table drop-down menu. Both of these sub-menus will have a “properties” option you can set (example at right).<\/p>\n

Note: If your table has headers at the top of columns, all in a single row, select “Table row properties.” If your table’s headers are at the left or right of rows, all in a single column, you must individually set each cell in that column to be a header by choosing “Table cell properties.”<\/p>\n

Designate the scope of the table headers<\/h3>\n

The “scope” setting identifies whether a table header is a column header or a row header. It tells the screen reader what is associated with the table header:<\/p>\n