HTML and XHTML Techniques - Marking up row-header cells that group rows in a data table as heading elements

Submitter's Name: Sailesh Panchang
Submitter's Email: spanchang02@yahoo.com

Technique ID: UNKNOWN
Short Name: Marking up row-header cells that group rows in a data table as heading elements
Technique Category: HTML and XHTML Techniques
Success Criterion Reference: UNKNOWN

Applicability:
Useful for data tables in which data rows are grouped.

UA Issues:
This technique works reliably with 
-	NVDA 2012/ 2013 with Firefox, 
-	JAWS 14 with Google Chrome, and
-	JAWS 12 and later with Internet Explorer 8/9 and Firefox    


Description:
The objective of this technique is to use suitable heading elements (h2, h3, etc) to mark up a data cell in a row that serves as a group header for a set of data rows that follow. The heading provides contextual information for related data cells. By employing keystrokes like JAWS+T (also suggested by Technique H80) a user can determine the context (i.e. nearest heading) for a data cell as needed without navigating away from the cell. Users can navigate large tables efficiently using heading-navigation and also comprehend the table’s structure easily.  
Developers too may be able to restrict the use of the headers-id technique (H43) of associating header cells with data cells only to tables that are very complex. Marking up large tables manually using H43 can often be time consuming.


Example 1 Head: Table 589. Multiple Jobholders- see Alternative-1 with H3 for grouping row headers
Example 1 Description:
Heading element h3 is used to group the rows in this table
- Age, 
- Race and Hispanic ethnicity:
- Marital status
- Full- or part-time status
 
http://mars.dequecloud.com/demo/Census_2013.htm
Note: The first table on this page uses heading-id method ( technique H43).


Related Techniques:
G1

Test Procedure:
1. Data rows in the table are grouped and a group heading is placed in the row above the first data row in every group
2. All groups of rows in the table are at the same hierarchy level 



Expected Result:
Conditions 1 and 2 are true

Additional Notes:
Link to example: http://mars.dequecloud.com/demo/Census_2013.htm

This technique is suitable when a single heading level (h2, h3, h4, etc) can be used to group different sets of data rows in the table. 
Conclusion: This technique should be tagged as a sufficient technique for SC 1.3.1 – data

Justification:
 WCAG-Working Group,
1.	Often developers omit to use headers-id method for complex tables . Users then have to grapple with an inaccessible table. On the other hand, the technique suggested here can be easily implemented for several complex tables. Users will be well served. It may also be noted that this technique results in a better user experience as users can control verbosity  … something which is not possible if headers-id method is used.
Users can comprehend the table's structure i.e. the manner in which rows are grouped, without getting into table navigation mode. One can quickly navigate to a section of a table that is of interest and then review the table's content

2.	Unfortunately Safari with VoiceOver does not have an equivalent for  the JAWS-T key for reading nearest heading while navigating a data table. Nor does Safari with VoiceOver support headers-id method for data tables. Despite this, H43 and H80 are documented as sufficient techniques for SC 1.3.1 and SC 2.4.4 respectively.
3.	Most other documented techniques in “Techniques for WCAG 2” say in which situation a particular technique is applicable.
The same applies to the technique suggested here.


No guidelines reference was submitted!
No example 2 header was submitted!
No example 2 description was submitted!
No resource 1 title submitted!
No resource 1 URI submitted!
No resource 2 title submitted!
No resource 2 URI submitted!
No test file 1 was submitted!
No test file 1 pass/fail was submitted!
No test file 2 was submitted!
No test file 2 pass/fail was submitted!


------------------------------------------------

<technique id="UNKNOWN">
<short-name>Marking up row-header cells that group rows in a data table as heading elements</short-name>
<applies-to>
<guideline idref="" />
<success-criterion idref="UNKNOWN" />
</applies-to>

<applicability>
Useful for data tables in which data rows are grouped.
</applicability>
<ua_issues>
This technique works reliably with 
-	NVDA 2012/ 2013 with Firefox, 
-	JAWS 14 with Google Chrome, and
-	JAWS 12 and later with Internet Explorer 8/9 and Firefox    

</ua_issues>
<description>
The objective of this technique is to use suitable heading elements (h2, h3, etc) to mark up a data cell in a row that serves as a group header for a set of data rows that follow. The heading provides contextual information for related data cells. By employing keystrokes like JAWS+T (also suggested by Technique H80) a user can determine the context (i.e. nearest heading) for a data cell as needed without navigating away from the cell. Users can navigate large tables efficiently using heading-navigation and also comprehend the table’s structure easily.  
Developers too may be able to restrict the use of the headers-id technique (H43) of associating header cells with data cells only to tables that are very complex. Marking up large tables manually using H43 can often be time consuming.

</description>

<examples>
<ex_head_1>
Table 589. Multiple Jobholders- see Alternative-1 with H3 for grouping row headers
</ex_head_1>
<ex_desc_1>
Heading element h3 is used to group the rows in this table
- Age, 
- Race and Hispanic ethnicity:
- Marital status
- Full- or part-time status
 
http://mars.dequecloud.com/demo/Census_2013.htm
Note: The first table on this page uses heading-id method ( technique H43).

</ex_desc_1>
<ex_head_2>

</ex_head_2>
<ex_desc_2>

</ex_desc_2>
</examples>

<resources>
<resources_title1>

</resources_title1>
<resource_uri1>

</resource_uri1>
<resources_title2>

</resources_title2>
<resource_uri2>

</resource_uri2>
</resources>

<related_techniques>
<related_technique>
G1
</related_technique>
</related_techniques>

<tests>
<procedure>
1. Data rows in the table are grouped and a group heading is placed in the row above the first data row in every group
2. All groups of rows in the table are at the same hierarchy level 


</procedure>
<expected_result>
Conditions 1 and 2 are true
</expected_result>
<test_file_1>

</test_file_1>
<pass_fail_1>

</pass_fail_1>
<test_file_2>

</test_file_2>
<pass_fail_2>

</pass_fail_2>
</tests>

</technique>

Additional Notes:

Link to example: http://mars.dequecloud.com/demo/Census_2013.htm

This technique is suitable when a single heading level (h2, h3, h4, etc) can be used to group different sets of data rows in the table. 
Conclusion: This technique should be tagged as a sufficient technique for SC 1.3.1 – data

Justification:
 WCAG-Working Group,
1.	Often developers omit to use headers-id method for complex tables . Users then have to grapple with an inaccessible table. On the other hand, the technique suggested here can be easily implemented for several complex tables. Users will be well served. It may also be noted that this technique results in a better user experience as users can control verbosity  … something which is not possible if headers-id method is used.
Users can comprehend the table&#039;s structure i.e. the manner in which rows are grouped, without getting into table navigation mode. One can quickly navigate to a section of a table that is of interest and then review the table&#039;s content

2.	Unfortunately Safari with VoiceOver does not have an equivalent for  the JAWS-T key for reading nearest heading while navigating a data table. Nor does Safari with VoiceOver support headers-id method for data tables. Despite this, H43 and H80 are documented as sufficient techniques for SC 1.3.1 and SC 2.4.4 respectively.
3.	Most other documented techniques in “Techniques for WCAG 2” say in which situation a particular technique is applicable.
The same applies to the technique suggested here.

Received on Monday, 19 August 2013 18:01:14 UTC