1.3.1 Tables

In the bad example, the table doesn't have a caption, but the header has been set as bold text. Compare these examples with a screen reader.

Problematic example

Descriptive caption for this table

Table header	Table header	Table header
Table content	Table content	Table content
Table content	Table content	Table content

Better example

Table header	Table header	Table header
Table content	Table content	Table content
Table content	Table content	Table content

Descriptive caption for this table

In the example above, the table is inside a figure element and the caption is added with figcaption. The structure of the HTML in the table can vary depending on the tool used.

The table caption is often positioned below the table by default, but that can also be moved above the table:

Table caption
Table header	Table header	Table header
Table content	Table content	Table content
Table content	Table content	Table content

Final comments

Proper markup with tables is very important for screen reader users.