Accessible Spreadsheets

Web Accessibility Guidelines for Tables

Create tables with column and/or row headers, and ensure a proper reading order.

Why Column Headers in a Data Table are Important

• Using table headers is important to conveying tabular data accurately.

Why the Reading Order in a Table is Important

• Screen readers read tables from left to right, top to bottom, one cell at a time (& only once). If cells are split or merged, it could throw the reading order off which may make the table difficult to comprehend by users who are blind and using a screen reader to navigate.