How To: Create Accessible Tables in Word
These resources will help you use Word’s built-in accessibility tools to format tables effectively.
Best Practices for Accessible Tables
When you include tables in your Word documents, it’s important to ensure they’re both clear and accessible to all readers. The following best practices will help you create tables that are easy to navigate with assistive technologies, visually distinct, and semantically meaningful. By structuring your tables thoughtfully, defining headers properly, and validating with built-in tools, you can improve readability and ensure everyone can interact with your data.
Structure
- Avoid using the document title as the first row of your table.
- Always define table headers.
- Keep tables simple—limit the number of columns and rows.
- Avoid blank cells, rows, or columns.
Headers
- Use full words; avoid abbreviations unless they’re widely recognized.
- Align headers consistently (left, right, or center) for better readability.
- Style headers (for example, bold or shading) to make them visually distinct.
- Keep headers concise and limited to one row.
- Label every column and row header clearly.
Captions and Summaries
- Insert a descriptive caption (References → Insert Caption) to explain the table’s purpose.
- Include a brief summary beneath the table if it contains complex data.
- Use Word’s “Alt Text” pane to add an accessible description of the table’s content.
Validation
- Run Word’s Accessibility Checker (Review → Check Accessibility) to catch any remaining issues.
- Test your table with a screen reader (e.g., NVDA or VoiceOver) to ensure it’s announced correctly.
Additional Resources