WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: using 'hidden' for data table

for

From: julian.rickards
Date: Sep 15, 2004 9:00AM

Print and web are two different media and therefore, they should be treated
as such. Just because a printed document does not have any header cells does
not necessarily mean that the web document shouldn't either. Just because a
web page uses tables for layout does not mean that the printed document
should too.

The purpose of the accessible table components (, scope, id/headers) is
to allow a person with a screen reader to "click" within a data cell and
learn (through the features of the screen reader) what header cells apply to
it. In a situation where there is a table with the days of the week across
the top and times down the left, moving the cursor to the "Staff Meeting"
cell, then prompting the screen reader to read out the headers will identify
to the person that the Staff Meeting is Tuesday at 10:30. Without contents
within the header cells (i.e., Tuesday and 10:30), there is nothing for the
screen reader to read.

As lists38 stated, you don't always need ids/headers, it depends on the
complexity of the table. I create accessible tables as such:

(1) One set of headers in one direction (i.e., at the top or at the left but
not both), is needed and scope helps.

(2) One set of headers in each direction (i.e., one at the top and one at
the left but no more than one level in each direction), is needed and
scope is needed.

(3) More than one set of headers in one direction, such as days of the week,
and then spanned cells grouping them into Weekday and Weekend and both at
the top or both at the left. In other words, multiple levels in the same
direction. is needed and id/headers to relate the Staff Meeting to both
Tuesday and Weekday.

HTH,

Jules

-----------------------------------------------
Julian Rickards
A/Digital Publications Distribution Coordinator
Publication Services Section,
Ministry of Northern Development and Mines,
Vox: 705-670-5608 / Fax: 705-670-5960