Proper headings assist screen readers with providing context to the information or data presented in the table.
When your table has a header row, assistive technologies can communicate the information presented in the table.
What are empty headings?
As previously mentioned in this module, tables must have proper column headings. An empty heading is a heading with no content.
Why is it important to avoid empty headings?
Some users, especially keyboard and screen reader users, often navigate by heading elements. An empty heading will present no information and may introduce confusion.
Hello and welcome back to module 4 of our accessibility training. This video focuses on learning how to write proper headings for tables and understanding why it is important to avoid empty headings in tables.
Proper headings assist screen readers with providing context to the information or data presented in the table. When your table has a header row, assistive technologies can communicate the information presented in the table.
The example in this slide has two headings in the top row: the student and their corresponding favourite ice cream flavour.
An empty heading is a heading with no content.
It is important to avoid empty headings because some users, especially keyboard and screen reader users, often navigate by using heading elements. Therefore, an empty heading will present no information and may introduce confusion to some users.
The table presented on the slide is an example of a table with empty headings. The top row is where the headings should be.
In this module, you learned that if you are going to use tables as part of your content, it is important to include proper headings and avoid empty headings at all costs.