Guideline 5. Create tables that transform gracefully.

Checkpoint 5.4 - If a table is used for layout, do not use any structural markup for the purpose of visual formatting

Data tables assume a relationship between the contents of each cell and the header tag of its column. Tables used for layout should not use <TH> tags like those used in data tables as this can confuse screen reader users who may expect to find a non-existent relationship.

How do I do it?

Just don't use the <TH> tags unless the cell is actually a header cell.

How do I check that it meets the WCAG criteria?

Where a table which is clearly not a data table is using structural markup, such as the <TH> tag, the page will fail the check. Pages can be checked for <TH> tags using the Edit > Find ‘<TH’ command in Dreamweaver or Notepad.

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