Tables

Accessibility Techniques for Tables
Topic	Technique	WCAG AA Requirement
Table Headers	Header Tag: Table headers MUST be designated with `<th>`. Testing methodology 1.3.1.b	Required WCAG 1.3.1
	Meaningful Header: Data table header text MUST accurately describe the category of the corresponding data cells. Testing methodology 1.3.1.b	Required WCAG 1.3.1
	Header and Data Cell Associations: Table data cells MUST be associated with their corresponding header cells. Note: Use of scope (`<th scope="col">` and `<th scope="row">`) is highly recommended, though not always necessary (i.e. if all cells in the first row are marked as `<th>` without scope, most modern screen readers will infer that the scope is the column below each header cell). Testing methodology 1.3.1.b	Required WCAG 1.3.1
	Group Header Associations: Table data group headers (if any) MUST be associated with their corresponding data cell groups (e.g. via `scope="rowgroup"` or `scope="colgroup"`). Testing methodology 1.3.1.b	Required WCAG 1.3.1
	Complex Header Associations: Header/data associations that cannot be designated with `<th>` and scope MUST be designated with the `header` and `id` attributes. Testing methodology 1.3.1.b	Required WCAG 1.3.1
	Nested or Split Tables: Data table headers and data associations MUST NOT be referenced across nested, merged, or separate tables. Testing methodology 1.3.1.b	Required WCAG 1.3.1
Tabular Data	Tables: Tabular data SHOULD be represented in a `<table>`. Note: Even if the data are not represented in a table, WCAG 1.3.1 requires the data to be associated with their labels.	Best Practice
Caption	Caption: Data tables SHOULD have a programmatically associated `<caption>` or name (e.g. via `aria-label` or `aria-labelledby`). Note: In most circumstances, `<caption>` is preferred, because it is the native method of giving a name to a table, and the `<caption>` is visible and available to all users by default.	Best Practice
	Meaningful Caption: The name or `<caption>` of a data table SHOULD describe the identity or purpose of the table accurately, meaningfully, and succinctly.	Best Practice
	Unique Caption: The name or `<caption>` of each data table SHOULD be unique within the context of other tables on the same page.	Best Practice
Layout Tables	Avoid Layout Tables: Tables SHOULD NOT be used for the purpose of purely visual (non-data) layout.	Best Practice
Layout Tables	Avoid Headers in Layout Tables: Layout tables MUST NOT contain headers.	Best Practice