Data table with no th elements Screen reader compatibility

Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers

Actual Result: causes problems in 85 screen reader / browser combinations

For expected failures, the results show which AT combos the failures affect. Results are recorded from the user's viewpoint, so describe the user impact of authoring errors.

WCAG Failure: F91: Failure of Success Criterion 1.3.1 for not correctly marking up table headers

Code used for this test:

		<table>
		  <tbody>
			<tr>
			  <td><strong>Morning</strong></td>
			  <td><strong>Afternoon</strong></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			  <td>Free</td>
			  <td>Busy</td>
			</tr>
		  </tbody>
		</table>
	

Change History

Last updated: December 12, 2023

• NVDA with Chrome Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2023.3
• NVDA with IE Causes problems from NVDA 2012.1 to NVDA 2019.2
• NVDA with FF Causes problems from NVDA 2012.1 to NVDA 2023.3
• JAWS with Chrome Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2023.2311.34
• JAWS with IE Causes problems from JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
• JAWS with FF Causes problems from JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2023.2311.34
• VoiceOver macOS Causes problems from VoiceOver macOS 10.9 to VoiceOver macOS 13.6
• VoiceOver iOS Causes problems from VoiceOver iOS 7.1 to VoiceOver iOS 16.6
• WindowEyes with IE Stable - OK from WindowEyes 8.4 to WindowEyes 9.2
• Dolphin with IE Causes problems in Dolphin SR 15.05
• SaToGo with IE OK in SaToGo 3.4.96.0

SortSite rules: AccHtmlTableNoHeaders

Test notes

All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.

Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:

• Reading Content read using the “read next” command in a screen reader
• Tabbing Content read using the “tab” key in a screen reader
• Heading Content read using the “next heading” key in a screen reader
• Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device

In the “What the user hears” column:

• Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
• Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the “read next” or “tab” or “next heading” command is pressed again
• Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
• (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear