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Re: Accessibility in Financial Tables in HTML

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From: Chagnon | PubCom.com
Date: Oct 15, 2015 9:05AM

Sailesh wrote: "Screen reader users are expected to configure their AT as per their needs and significance of the content they are reviewing"

Yes, that's true. They should do that.
But they are mere human beings and usually don't do that, so we can't expect them to do it.

It is extremely rare for a user, disabled or not, to custom configure or adjust the settings of their software. All of us use it "out of the box."

Going back to Julie's original post: what do with negative numbers, dollar signs, and other table details:

There's no one solution or best practice at this time. You've heard a several different, solid arguments from knowledgeable people.

I think you can find some middle ground between a minimalist approach and an overwrought detailed approach that would help everyone use and understand the table quicker and with fewer comprehension errors. Unfortunately, we can't control the AT used by some people, nor their capability to use it.

So, taking a precept from the traditional publishing-editing world, write for your audience.

Here's an example on how that could translate to our accessibility world:
If your audience is the general public, you can't guarantee that they would understand that parentheses denote negative numbers, but if the audience are those who specialize in accounting, finance, or state budgeting process, then assume they do have that basic understanding.

And if someone who is sighted will be confused by the table or make errors, then assume that someone who is using a screen reader will also be in the same situation.

--Bevi Chagnon