Guideline
5. Create tables that transform gracefully.

Ensure that tables have necessary markup to be transformed by accessible browsers and other user agents.

Tables should be used to mark up truly tabular information ("data tables"). Content developers should avoid using them to lay out pages ("layout tables"). Tables for any use also present special problems to users of screen readers .

Some user agents allow users to navigate among table cells and access header and other table cell information. Unless marked-up properly, these tables will not provide user agents with the appropriate information.

The checkpoints for this guideline will directly benefit people who access a table through auditory means (e.g., a screen reader or an Automobile PC that operates by speech input and output) or who view only a portion of the page at a time (e.g., users with blindness or low vision using speech output or a braille display, or other users of devices with small displays, etc.).

Checkpoints for guideline 5.