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Re: Accessible Excel files -- two questions

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From: Jonathan Avila
Date: Apr 7, 2017 7:54PM

Donna, it appears you are using the accessibility checker in Excel. Sometimes the advice it provides isn't always the most clear in regards to tables. It generally suggest alt text be added to all tables in MS products. This can actually be problematic for some screen readers -- in particular in PowerPoint. From an Excel standpoint it could be useful to label them in order to use commands (insert+f5) that allow the user to move to different objects on the screen -- especially if you have multiple tables.

If you do want to turn off the dropdown filter after converting them to a table you can go to the data ribbon and unselect "filter".

Other than labeling and navigation purposes there is no benefit within Excel for AT that I am aware off. If you were to convert to another format I'd assume the TH might come through into PDF output, etc.

Regarding the issue with applying alt text to tables in PPT -- I've found with some screen readers the alt text is read instead of the content in the table -- with other screen readers the alt text isn't read at all.

Jonathan

Jonathan Avila
Chief Accessibility Officer
SSB BART Group 
<EMAIL REMOVED>
703.637.8957 (Office)

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