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data or layout table

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From: deborah.kaplan@suberic.net
Date: Sep 2, 2011 8:00AM

I need to make a website which shows thumbnail images of quilt
squares linking to more comprehensive information about those
same quilt squares, along with larger images. I think this is
best laid out as tables; tables reinforce the idea that the
column and row information is significant, and in this case
there's historical context that is preserved in the way the quilt
squares were put together.

Is this data table or a layout table? It's not a data table in
the classic sense, with row and column headers (and in order to
treat it as a data table I would have to force headers in some
way). But it's not a pure layout table either. It's important
information to know where the quilt squares fall relative to each
other.

What would be ideal from a screenreader perspective? From a
visual browser perspective it's irrelevant what I choose.

Thanks for any suggestions,

-Deborah