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Thread: Guidance for HTML data table special cases?

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From: Meacham, Steve - FSA, Kansas City, MO
Date: Tue, Jul 25 2017 10:35AM
Subject: Guidance for HTML data table special cases?
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I've provided guidance for two special cases of HTML data tables to my organization. It has not been well received. Here it is, summarized, and I'd appreciate feedback or references to something I can point them too that might be better or more acceptable/accessible.

For data tables that contain no data, such as before being populated, or which lack any matching records: Rather than presenting a single row of column headers followed by nothing else, include one subsequent row, spanning all the columns, with text that indicates why there is no data being displayed, and directing the user forward. Example: "No matching records. Try another query." Another example: "No data has been recorded. Add a record."

For data tables that contain missing data (i.e. there are blank data cells, intermingled with populated data cells): Leave the cells empty or using a non-breaking space. Don't add a hyphen, dot, N/A, or other place holder unless there is a particular business need.

For data tables that are sparse (same as above, but the blank cells become so numerous that finding the data that _is_ there becomes difficult to do non-visually, such as with a screen reader or magnifier): Redesign.

Thank you very much,
Steven Meacham, ICT Accessibility Program Manager
USDA Farm Service Agency
+1 (816) 926-1942<tel:+18169261942>
For program support email = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >





This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Tue, Jul 25 2017 11:36AM
Subject: Re: Guidance for HTML data table special cases?
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Just curious. Did they provide you any feedback on why they don't receive this guidance well?

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Meacham, Steve - FSA, Kansas City, MO
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 11:36 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: [WebAIM] Guidance for HTML data table special cases?

I've provided guidance for two special cases of HTML data tables to my organization. It has not been well received. Here it is, summarized, and I'd appreciate feedback or references to something I can point them too that might be better or more acceptable/accessible.

For data tables that contain no data, such as before being populated, or which lack any matching records: Rather than presenting a single row of column headers followed by nothing else, include one subsequent row, spanning all the columns, with text that indicates why there is no data being displayed, and directing the user forward. Example: "No matching records. Try another query." Another example: "No data has been recorded. Add a record."

For data tables that contain missing data (i.e. there are blank data cells, intermingled with populated data cells): Leave the cells empty or using a non-breaking space. Don't add a hyphen, dot, N/A, or other place holder unless there is a particular business need.

For data tables that are sparse (same as above, but the blank cells become so numerous that finding the data that _is_ there becomes difficult to do non-visually, such as with a screen reader or magnifier): Redesign.

Thank you very much,
Steven Meacham, ICT Accessibility Program Manager
USDA Farm Service Agency
+1 (816) 926-1942<tel:+18169261942>
For program support email = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >





This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

From: Meacham, Steve - FSA, Kansas City, MO
Date: Tue, Jul 25 2017 11:46AM
Subject: Re: Guidance for HTML data table special cases?
← Previous message | Next message →

I won't share the specific vitriolic feedback, but it boils down to wanting to treat accessibility as a compliance issue (where's the WCAG success criteria to back this up?) vs accessibility as a practice (it violates WCAG principles Perceivable and Understandable, and it can be disorienting to even visual users).

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Tim Harshbarger
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 12:37 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Guidance for HTML data table special cases?

Just curious. Did they provide you any feedback on why they don't receive this guidance well?

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Meacham, Steve - FSA, Kansas City, MO
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 11:36 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: [WebAIM] Guidance for HTML data table special cases?

I've provided guidance for two special cases of HTML data tables to my organization. It has not been well received. Here it is, summarized, and I'd appreciate feedback or references to something I can point them too that might be better or more acceptable/accessible.

For data tables that contain no data, such as before being populated, or which lack any matching records: Rather than presenting a single row of column headers followed by nothing else, include one subsequent row, spanning all the columns, with text that indicates why there is no data being displayed, and directing the user forward. Example: "No matching records. Try another query." Another example: "No data has been recorded. Add a record."

For data tables that contain missing data (i.e. there are blank data cells, intermingled with populated data cells): Leave the cells empty or using a non-breaking space. Don't add a hyphen, dot, N/A, or other place holder unless there is a particular business need.

For data tables that are sparse (same as above, but the blank cells become so numerous that finding the data that _is_ there becomes difficult to do non-visually, such as with a screen reader or magnifier): Redesign.

Thank you very much,
Steven Meacham, ICT Accessibility Program Manager USDA Farm Service Agency
+1 (816) 926-1942<tel:+18169261942>
For program support email = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >





This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

From: Lucy Greco
Date: Tue, Jul 25 2017 12:45PM
Subject: Re: Guidance for HTML data table special cases?
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hello: i like what you said and and understand your frustration. however i
do disagree with the leaving the sells blank the beginner screen
reader user does not know how to navagate tables and needs some form of
place marker to show a sell is empty

Lucia Greco
Web Accessibility Evangelist
IST - Architecture, Platforms, and Integration
University of California, Berkeley
(510) 289-6008 skype: lucia1-greco
http://webaccess.berkeley.edu
Follow me on twitter @accessaces


On Tue, Jul 25, 2017 at 10:46 AM, Meacham, Steve - FSA, Kansas City, MO <
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> I won't share the specific vitriolic feedback, but it boils down to
> wanting to treat accessibility as a compliance issue (where's the WCAG
> success criteria to back this up?) vs accessibility as a practice (it
> violates WCAG principles Perceivable and Understandable, and it can be
> disorienting to even visual users).
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On
> Behalf Of Tim Harshbarger
> Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 12:37 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Guidance for HTML data table special cases?
>
> Just curious. Did they provide you any feedback on why they don't receive
> this guidance well?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On
> Behalf Of Meacham, Steve - FSA, Kansas City, MO
> Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 11:36 AM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Subject: [WebAIM] Guidance for HTML data table special cases?
>
> I've provided guidance for two special cases of HTML data tables to my
> organization. It has not been well received. Here it is, summarized, and
> I'd appreciate feedback or references to something I can point them too
> that might be better or more acceptable/accessible.
>
> For data tables that contain no data, such as before being populated, or
> which lack any matching records: Rather than presenting a single row of
> column headers followed by nothing else, include one subsequent row,
> spanning all the columns, with text that indicates why there is no data
> being displayed, and directing the user forward. Example: "No matching
> records. Try another query." Another example: "No data has been
> recorded. Add a record."
>
> For data tables that contain missing data (i.e. there are blank data
> cells, intermingled with populated data cells): Leave the cells empty or
> using a non-breaking space. Don't add a hyphen, dot, N/A, or other place
> holder unless there is a particular business need.
>
> For data tables that are sparse (same as above, but the blank cells become
> so numerous that finding the data that _is_ there becomes difficult to do
> non-visually, such as with a screen reader or magnifier): Redesign.
>
> Thank you very much,
> Steven Meacham, ICT Accessibility Program Manager USDA Farm Service Agency
> +1 (816) 926-1942<tel:+18169261942>
> For program support email = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto:
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>
>
>
>
>
> This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely
> for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message
> or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law
> and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you
> have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete
> the email immediately.
> > > at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > > >

From: Meacham, Steve - FSA, Kansas City, MO
Date: Tue, Jul 25 2017 1:20PM
Subject: Re: Guidance for HTML data table special cases?
← Previous message | No next message

JAWS (what I use) says 'blank' on empty cells and those containing only whitespace. When they are few and far between, it's great, and nothing other than 'blank' seems any better. Those cells being blank are significant and should stand out as much as cells containing data.

There comes a threshold where the empty cells are so numerous that they effectively face into the background and become unimportant. The visual user's eye is then drawn to where the text is - the data. At a glance. Conveniently. But a to a non-visual user, the whitespace doesn't fade away, and you end up visualizing the whole table, and the concentrations of non-blank cells aren't apparent. We have to listen to all of it, blanks and all. Laborious. Verbose, Not convenient.

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Lucy Greco
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 1:45 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Guidance for HTML data table special cases?

hello: i like what you said and and understand your frustration. however i
do disagree with the leaving the sells blank the beginner screen
reader user does not know how to navagate tables and needs some form of place marker to show a sell is empty

Lucia Greco
Web Accessibility Evangelist
IST - Architecture, Platforms, and Integration University of California, Berkeley
(510) 289-6008 skype: lucia1-greco
http://webaccess.berkeley.edu
Follow me on twitter @accessaces


On Tue, Jul 25, 2017 at 10:46 AM, Meacham, Steve - FSA, Kansas City, MO < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> I won't share the specific vitriolic feedback, but it boils down to
> wanting to treat accessibility as a compliance issue (where's the WCAG
> success criteria to back this up?) vs accessibility as a practice (it
> violates WCAG principles Perceivable and Understandable, and it can be
> disorienting to even visual users).
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On
> Behalf Of Tim Harshbarger
> Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 12:37 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Guidance for HTML data table special cases?
>
> Just curious. Did they provide you any feedback on why they don't
> receive this guidance well?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On
> Behalf Of Meacham, Steve - FSA, Kansas City, MO
> Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 11:36 AM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Subject: [WebAIM] Guidance for HTML data table special cases?
>
> I've provided guidance for two special cases of HTML data tables to my
> organization. It has not been well received. Here it is, summarized,
> and I'd appreciate feedback or references to something I can point
> them too that might be better or more acceptable/accessible.
>
> For data tables that contain no data, such as before being populated,
> or which lack any matching records: Rather than presenting a single
> row of column headers followed by nothing else, include one subsequent
> row, spanning all the columns, with text that indicates why there is
> no data being displayed, and directing the user forward. Example: "No
> matching records. Try another query." Another example: "No data has
> been recorded. Add a record."
>
> For data tables that contain missing data (i.e. there are blank data
> cells, intermingled with populated data cells): Leave the cells empty
> or using a non-breaking space. Don't add a hyphen, dot, N/A, or other
> place holder unless there is a particular business need.
>
> For data tables that are sparse (same as above, but the blank cells
> become so numerous that finding the data that _is_ there becomes
> difficult to do non-visually, such as with a screen reader or magnifier): Redesign.
>
> Thank you very much,
> Steven Meacham, ICT Accessibility Program Manager USDA Farm Service
> Agency
> +1 (816) 926-1942<tel:+18169261942>
> For program support email = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto:
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>
>
>
>
>
> This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA
> solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of
> this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains
> may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal
> penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error,
> please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.
> > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >