Accessible Table Structure

Target Audience: Chaffey College Faculty, Staff, & Students (Beginner Level)

Software: Microsoft Word 365 (Enterprise)

Goal: Ensure tables are readable by screen readers and pass the Accessibility Checker.

The Concept: Screen readers read tables linearly: "Row 1, Column 1," then "Row 1, Column 2." Imagine a spreadsheet grid. If you "merge" two cells together, or split one cell into tiny pieces, you break that grid. When a blind student's software hits a merged cell, it often gets confused, skips data, or reads the "Price" column as the "Date" column.

The Golden Rule: Keep it simple. One row should be one straight line across. One column should be one straight line down. Tables are for Data (numbers/facts), not for Layout (making things look pretty).

 

Part 1: The "No Merging" Rule

How to check if your table is broken:

1. Click inside your table.
2. Look at the grid lines.
3. Good: Every box is the same size. It looks like a clean checkerboard.
4. Bad: You have one long box spanning across three smaller boxes below it (usually used for titles).

How to Fix Merged Cells (Step-by-Step):

1. Select the Cell: Right-click inside the specific cell that looks "merged" or too long.
2. Find the Tool: Select Split Cells from the menu.
3. Reset the Grid:
4. A small box will pop up asking for numbers.
5. Your goal is to make it match the rest of the table. Usually, this means typing 1 for "Number of Columns" and 1 for "Number of Rows."
6. Click OK.
7. Result: The cell will shrink back to a normal size, leaving empty cells next to it. You can now delete or fill those empty cells to make the grid even.

 

Part 2: Fixing the "Table Title" Mistake

Common Mistake: Content Creators often merge the entire top row of a table to type a title like "Fall Schedule." This ruins the accessibility tags for the actual data below it.

How to Fix It:

1. Get the Text Out: Highlight the text inside that top row (e.g., "Fall Schedule") and Cut it (Ctrl + X).
2. Paste it Outside: Click just above the table (in the main document body) and Paste it (Ctrl + V).
3. Make it a Heading: Highlight that pasted text and click Heading 2 in your Styles menu.
4. Delete the Empty Row:
5. Right-click the now-empty top row of the table.
6. Select Delete Cells... > Delete entire row.
7. Now your table starts cleanly with the data headers (like "Date," "Time," "Class").

 

Part 3: Stop Using "Layout Tables"

Common Mistake: Using a table with invisible borders just to put a picture on the left and text on the right (like a resume or staff bio).

Why this fails: Screen readers read the entire left column (all the pictures) before moving to the entire right column (all the text). This means the assistive user hears the names of 5 staff members in a row, then 5 bios in a row, with no idea which bio belongs to which person.

The Fix: Use "Columns" Instead

1. Delete the Table: Highlight your text and remove it from the table structure.
2. Select the Text: Highlight the paragraphs you want side-by-side.
3. Go to Layout: Click the Layout tab in the top ribbon (next to Design).
4. Click Columns: Click the Columns dropdown and select Two.
5. Result: Word will naturally flow your text into two columns (like a newspaper). This is fully accessible and reads in the correct order.

 

Part 4: Don't Forget the Header Row!

If your table breaks across two pages, you must do this.

1. Click inside the top row of your data (e.g., the row saying "Name," "ID," "Grade").
2. Right-click and select Table Properties.
3. Click the Row tab.
4. Check the box: Repeat as header row at the top of each page.
5. Click OK.