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Thread: Data table without TH

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Number of posts in this thread: 6 (In chronological order)

From: wolfgang.berndorfer@zweiterblick.at
Date: Mon, Sep 19 2022 2:40AM
Subject: Data table without TH
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A table lists up allowed formats for upload e.g.:

Text ASCII text/plain *.TXT

Dokument PDF application/pdf *.PDF

.

The columns don't have any heading (th).

SC 1.3.1 can't be applied, since there isn't any visual presentation either.

Which SC applies?

From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Mon, Sep 19 2022 2:46AM
Subject: Re: Data table without TH
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On 19/09/2022 09:40, = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = wrote:
> A table lists up allowed formats for upload e.g.:
>
> Text ASCII text/plain *.TXT
>
> Dokument PDF application/pdf *.PDF
>
> .
>
> The columns don't have any heading (th).
>
> SC 1.3.1 can't be applied, since there isn't any visual presentation either.
>
> Which SC applies?

Arguably no hard WCAG failure at all (not every bad or lacking markup
leads to an actual SC failure). But as best practice, recommend turning
the cells in the first column to row headers.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

https://www.splintered.co.uk/ | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
https://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | https://www.deviantart.com/redux
twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke

From: David Engebretson Jr.
Date: Mon, Sep 19 2022 2:48AM
Subject: Re: Data table without TH
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Don't forget to add column and row scopes on those headers!

Cheers,
David


-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > On Behalf Of Patrick H. Lauke
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2022 1:46 AM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Data table without TH

On 19/09/2022 09:40, = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = wrote:
> A table lists up allowed formats for upload e.g.:
>
> Text ASCII text/plain *.TXT
>
> Dokument PDF application/pdf *.PDF
>
> .
>
> The columns don't have any heading (th).
>
> SC 1.3.1 can't be applied, since there isn't any visual presentation either.
>
> Which SC applies?

Arguably no hard WCAG failure at all (not every bad or lacking markup leads to an actual SC failure). But as best practice, recommend turning the cells in the first column to row headers.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

https://www.splintered.co.uk/ | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
https://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | https://www.deviantart.com/redux
twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke

From: wolfgang.berndorfer@zweiterblick.at
Date: Mon, Sep 19 2022 10:57AM
Subject: Re: Data table without TH
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Perplexing that there is no SC for such an essential feature like heading-semantic for tables.

SR partially provide functionality to read the first cell in a col/row or to navigate there. But these functionalities are laborious crutches to gain the meaning of a cell. And they have to be known by SR users.

Sending blind users with seeing eyes into the labyrinth…

So let us hope for new SC:
2.4.11 Table Semantics (AA)
… and continue with
2.4.12 No nested tables (AAA)

… or will that start with 2.4 .2030?

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > On Behalf Of Patrick H. Lauke
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2022 10:46 AM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Data table without TH

On 19/09/2022 09:40, = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = wrote:
> A table lists up allowed formats for upload e.g.:
>
> Text ASCII text/plain *.TXT
>
> Dokument PDF application/pdf *.PDF
>
> .
>
> The columns don't have any heading (th).
>
> SC 1.3.1 can't be applied, since there isn't any visual presentation either.
>
> Which SC applies?

Arguably no hard WCAG failure at all (not every bad or lacking markup leads to an actual SC failure). But as best practice, recommend turning the cells in the first column to row headers.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

https://www.splintered.co.uk/ | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
https://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | https://www.deviantart.com/redux
twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke

From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Mon, Sep 19 2022 12:27PM
Subject: Re: Data table without TH
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On 19/09/2022 17:57, = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = wrote:
> Perplexing that there is no SC for such an essential feature like heading-semantic for tables.

Sighted users that don't use SR often come across tables like the one
you mention without explicit row/column headings, and have to infer the
meaning based on context. So SR users are not more or less disadvantaged
here...which is why there's no SC explicitly addressing this aspect.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

https://www.splintered.co.uk/ | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
https://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | https://www.deviantart.com/redux
twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke

From: wolfgang.berndorfer@zweiterblick.at
Date: Tue, Sep 20 2022 12:04AM
Subject: Re: Data table without TH
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Thanks Patrick for explaining, why there is no SR for table headings.
Poor design for all does not evoke discrimination.
As you said before: not every bad or lacking markup leads to an actual SC failure

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > On Behalf Of Patrick H. Lauke
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2022 8:27 PM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Data table without TH

On 19/09/2022 17:57, = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = wrote:
> Perplexing that there is no SC for such an essential feature like heading-semantic for tables.

Sighted users that don't use SR often come across tables like the one you mention without explicit row/column headings, and have to infer the meaning based on context. So SR users are not more or less disadvantaged here...which is why there's no SC explicitly addressing this aspect.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

https://www.splintered.co.uk/ | https://github.com/patrickhlauke https://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | https://www.deviantart.com/redux
twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke