a11yTips — Use CSS rather than table markup for page layout

Use CSS rather than table markup for page layout

Make sure page layout is handled through CSS and not HTML table markup

While using HTML tables for layout does not automatically guarantee an accessibility failure, experience shows that CSS-driven websites tend to be more accessible because the less HTML markup is used to control layout, the less likely this markup will get in the way of assistive technologies. Organizing content blocks with layout tables may produce a confusing rendering in which related information is positioned together visually on the screen, but separated in the source code. As long as tables are not deeply nested into a mess of convoluted code and the use of layout tables does not break the logical order in which the content is presented, the impact on accessibility can be minimal. However, massively relying on CSS to avoid issues with the rendering of content is still one of the best options authors have to ensure a meaningful order.

To do so, simply make sure that CSS is used to its full potential and avoid table markup for page layout. Authors should keep layout tables to a minimum and absolutely avoid everything but TABLE, TR and TD elements when tables [...]

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