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Re: Complex Tables on PDFs

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From: Olaf Drümmer
Date: Oct 18, 2013 2:04PM

Hi Rabab,

Am 18 Oct 2013 um 20:48 schrieb Rabab Gomaa < <EMAIL REMOVED> >:

> I find those pages provide good examples of table simplification.
> http://wet-boew.github.io/wet-boew/demos/opt-cont/tbl-simp-en.html

to my taste this is taking accessibility too far in many cases - once simplified in this fashion, the tables tend to become much less usable for many users.

Tables are a valid presentational concept, regardless of ability and disability. Where information is related in complex ways, tables might be the only efficient means for presentation. Splitting a complex table into a bunch of less complex tables can make it more difficult to read and understand such information. Tables express relationship between data or information inside it, splitting tables discards some of these relationship aspects, or makes it more cumbersome to retrieve them.

Whenever a discussion like this comes up I wonder why assistive technology does not come up with approaches of simplified presentation of tables. The principles explained on the page mentioned above can be applied on the fly by a tool like a screen reader (but also by a viewer on a mobile phone with its small display). Why are we not asking more from the tools we use, instead of applying violence to content and its most efficient form of presentation.

Disclaimer: As always, tables like any other type of content or presentation need to have their target audience in mind. Some complex tables will never work for their indented audience, and might have to be simplified in one way or another.


Olaf