Header Tags

Source: WebAIM

When you use the table header (<th>) tag, most browsers cause the text to become bold and centered, which can be a nice visual effect, but the <th> tag should only be used in data tables. Don’t use it in layout tables because you may confuse screen reader users, making them think they’re inside a data table when they are not.

Adding a Header Tag in Dreamweaver

Header in Dreamweaver

Captions and Summary in Dreamweaver

When you insert a Table, users have the option immediately to add a Caption and Summary to the table.

Table Accessibility: Captions and Summary

Tables in Pearson LearningStudio

  1. Users can create a table within the Visual Editor.

  2. You can create a “Section 508”-compliant table with the Table Wizard.
    Table Wizard in LearningStudio

  3. Alternatively, you can convert an existing table to a “Section 508”-compliant table using the Table Properties context menu. Create a new table with the Table Wizard or open the Table Properties dialog.

    LearningStudio Table Properties

  4. Click the “Accessibility” tab.LearningStudio Table Wizard Accessibility

  5. In the “Accessibility” tab, fill in the fields: Heading rows/columns, Caption, and Summary about the table. Select the [Associate cells with headers] checkbox.

  6. The caption should specify the title of the table. For information about table captions http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/H39.html

  7. Summary is used to give more details on the contents of the table. This attribute only needs to be completed if user sets 2 for the Heading rows or Heading columns field. For more information about Summary attribute include link to http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/H73.html

  8. Always select the [Associate cells with headers] checkbox.

Resources

Data Tables
Table Captions and Summaries
Proportional Sizing