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Help your students succeed by making content in your subject accessible using the LX Accessible Content Practices – don’t use tables for formatting, instead use UTS Canvas templates or HTML/CSS (if you’re feeling fancy).
Overview of templates not tables
Avoid using tables to structure or format your content, and only use them when presenting data. You should also always aim to create your tables with the platform you’re using, rather than copying and pasting. So if you’re using Canvas, create the table using the Rich Content Editor. If you’re using Microsoft Word, use the table tool, and so on. Doing this will automatically tag table elements for screen readers and prevent accessibility or formatting problems.
It’s okay to use tables in your subject if you are using them to present data. If you are using a data table – it’s important to add header rows/columns and a caption for students using screen readers. By running the Canvas Accessibly Checker on the page, it will prompt you to add the captions and select the header row/column on the table.
If you need to create a data table, check this resource on how to create accessible tables.
Screen readers and tables
The main reason that you’ll need to be careful about how you create tables in your digital content is that screen readers often do not interpret tables as they appear visually. Details such as the order of information, and where it sits in the table can become lost when a screen reader attempts to interpret the data. Consequently, users of screen readers cannot access these tables at all. It is easy to add captions and header rows or columns to tables by using an accessibility checker.
Using LX templates in Canvas
The LX.lab has developed templates for you to use to help make your modules and page formatting consistent. Find out more via Get moving with Canvas templates and shell blog post.