Re: Table Questions

Jim Thatcher wrote:
"Let me know if the section on tables of the 508 web accessibility course
helps: http://jimthatcher.com/webcourse8.htm."

Thank you, this was helpful (BTW, I think maybe you meant:
<http://jimthatcher.com/webcourse9.htm>?)

In particular, the comment "Unless one or more of your tables is really a
data table, because, while layout tables usually linearize well, data tables
do not" really struck a chord after Steven McCaffrey's post.  It is perhaps
more dangerous to label a non data table a data table, than to neglect to
label a data table as such.

Jim Thatcher wrote:
"My specific answers:
"1) The 508 standards allow tables for layout.
"2) It is a judgement issue; I'll bet a committee of 5 would rarely disagree
on whether or not a table is a data table. The more interesting question to
me is the definition of a table satisfying 1194.22(h). I tried to get a
definition here a few months back without a lot of success.
"3) Yes screen readers and talking browsers are using the headers attribute.
I know of none using scope."

While I still need to listen in on that committee of 5 discussing data
tables, I wholeheartedly agree about 1194.22(h).  I was even wondering about
an example used at <http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-HTML-TECHS/#data-tables>, a
source mentioned earlier by Emmanuelle, and its markup:

Why isn't "scope" used in the TDs with senators' names?

<TABLE border="1" 
          summary="This table charts ...">
      <CAPTION>Cups of coffee consumed by each senator</CAPTION>
      <TR>  
           <TH scope="col">Name</TH>
           <TH scope="col">Cups</TH>
           <TH scope="col" abbr="Type">Type of Coffee</TH>
           <TH scope="col">Sugar?</TH>
     <TR>  
           <TD>T. Sexton</TD>  <TD>10</TD>
           <TD>Espresso</TD>   <TD>No</TD>
     <TR>  
           <TD>J. Dinnen</TD>  <TD>5</TD>
           <TD>Decaf</TD>       <TD>Yes</TD>
</TABLE>

(And I do want to make sure I mention I have made every effort to spend time
with the spec.  It has done worlds for my understanding, but as they say,
the more you know, the more you realize you don't know!)

Thanks,
Liz

P.S. I'm sorry about previously using ">" quoting, that is probably not very
easy on screen readers.  If anyone has advice on that (particularly those
using screen readers!) feel free to advise (heck, maybe it works great on
'em and I just didn't realize!).

Received on Friday, 11 May 2001 17:04:53 UTC