WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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Re: tables vs. layers

for

From: julian.rickards@ndm.gov.on.ca
Date: Dec 2, 2004 7:22AM

JAWS announces the dimensions of tables every time a new one is encountered
so if you have an outer table with nested tables, or worse, multiple-nested
tables, JAWS announces the dimensions of each one as they are encountered.
This may not be an accessibility issue per se in that it does not
necessarily prevent the screen reader user from accessing the information in
the table cells, however, it does add to the "volume of reading" and could
very well reduce the ability of the user to remember real content if they
keep hearing the table dimensions.

There also is the concern that the tables may not linearize properly
depending on how the designer laid out the tables.

HTH,

Jules

-----Original Message-----
From: karen.looney [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]

Thank you all for responding. However, I should have been more specific with
my original question.
What I was referring to was the pro's & con's of tables vs. layers in
respect to accessibilities...

For instance, is it easier for screen readers to follow/interpret text if
it's within a ?
Can anyone provide URLs that address the design issues for making table-less
designs accessible?