Table Summary

The table summary does not show up visually on the screen. It should be used to describe the table. It should help the screen reader user get a spatial layout of how the columns and rows relate to each other.

Examples of Poor Table Summaries

Here are a couple of examples of poor table summaries:

First quarter sales - this tells nothing about how the table is laid out. Are the months of the quarter horizontal in the top column or vertical in the first row?
TV listings for Tuesday - again, this tells nothing about how the table rows and columns relate to each other.

Give screen reader users a head start! Use GOOD and WELL THOUGHT OUT table summaries!

NOTE: Don't go overboard, either. One phrase or sentence is usually enough. Keep it to no more than two, for good practice.

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