What this test checks
The test checks whether the PDF document contains tables that are correctly tagged for accessibility.
Why this maybe a barrier
Tables in PDF documents need to be marked up in a visually and logically correct way for proper interpretation.
Screen readers and other assistive technologies cannot accurately interpret improper table structure, making it impossible for users to understand the relationships between headers and data. This results in loss of meaning and can block comprehension of tabular data, particularly for visually impaired users.
Tables contain row and column data which need to be read in a consistent way in relation to the table headers. Without proper logical markup, assistive technologies may either interpret such data in the wrong way or entirely skip them.
WCAG 2.2 Technique
This check is related to the WCAG 2.2 technique → PDF6: Using table elements for table markup in PDF-documents.
WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion
1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A) — "Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text."
For more information, visit WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.2 under the guideline Adaptable.
PDF/UA Principle
Section 7.5: Tables — This section describes the PDF/UA requirements for tables. For implementation, the test uses the following Matterhorn protocol checkpoints namely:
- 15-001 — A row has a header cell, but that header cell is not tagged as a header.
- 15-002 — A column has a header cell, but that header cell is not tagged as a header.
- 15-003 — In a table not organized with Headers attributes and IDs, a
<TH>cell does not contain aScopeattribute. - 15-004 — Content is tagged as a table for information that is not organized in rows and columns.
- 15-005 — A given cell's header cannot be unambiguously determined.