1.3.1: Info and Relationships

Introduction

This document provides information about the Acquia Web Governance check:

• Is the data table summary describing the navigation and structure of the table?

What

This check reviews data tables that contain a summary attribute and verifies that the summary text explains how the table is organized and how to read it, for example, what the rows represent and what the columns represent. The summary must not contain generic or meaningless text such as "table". If a table does not contain a summary attribute, this check does not apply.

Why

A clear summary helps users understand how a complex table is organized before they move through individual cells. This makes it easier to follow relationships between headers and data, and navigate large tables more efficiently.

Who

Affected users

This check affects the following users who have:

• Blindness or vision impairments: Who navigate websites with keyboard commands and use screen reader software.
• Cognitive disabilities: Who use this information to decide quickly whether the table is relevant.

Examples

1.3.1: Info and Relationships

Introduction

This document provides information about the Acquia Web Governance check:

• Is the data table summary describing the navigation and structure of the table?

What

This check reviews data tables that contain a summary attribute and verifies that the summary text explains how the table is organized and how to read it, for example, what the rows represent and what the columns represent. The summary must not contain generic or meaningless text such as "table". If a table does not contain a summary attribute, this check does not apply.

Why

A clear summary helps users understand how a complex table is organized before they move through individual cells. This makes it easier to follow relationships between headers and data, and navigate large tables more efficiently.

Who

Affected users

This check affects the following users who have:

• Blindness or vision impairments: Who navigate websites with keyboard commands and use screen reader software.
• Cognitive disabilities: Who use this information to decide quickly whether the table is relevant.

Examples

Pass example

The check passes when the summary attribute provides a concise overview of the table structure and explains how to read it.
HTML

<table summary="Rows list employees. Column headers are Department and Start date. Find a name in the first column, then read across to see that employee’s department and start date.">
  <tr>
<th scope="col">Employee</th>
<th scope="col">Department</th>
<th scope="col">Start date</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
<th scope="row">Alex Kim</th>
<td>Finance</td>
<td>2023-04-10</td>
  </tr>
</table>

Fail example

This check fails when the summary is present but it does not provide structural context or guidance on how to read the table.
HTML

<table summary="table">
  <tr>
<th scope="col">Employee</th>
<th scope="col">Department</th>
<th scope="col">Start date</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
<th scope="row">Alex Kim</th>
<td>Finance</td>
<td>2023-04-10</td>
  </tr>
</table>

How

This section provides information on how to review and fix the issue.

How to review it

1. Identify data tables that include a summary attribute. You can use the Web Governance Browser Extension to locate the element on the page or in the HTML source code.
2. Ensure that the summary text explains how the table is organized and how to read it. For example, it should explain what the rows and columns represent. Ensure that it is not generic and does not repeat the caption or surrounding text.

How to fix it

If a table contains a summary, ensure that it briefly explains the table structure and how to read it. The summary must explain what the rows and columns represent and how users can find related values.

Additional resources

This section contains useful resources for this subject.

WCAG success criteria

1.3.1: Info and Relationships