Use table markup to structure tabular data in PDF documents
no. 127
Make sure data tables in PDF documents are structured using table markup
Unless they are properly marked up, data tables in PDF documents are likely to cause important issues for people using screen readers, since the order in which data included in header and data cells is announced, as well as the relationships between cells is likely to be misinterpreted, if not completely overlooked. Tabular information must be presented in a way that preserves relationships within the information, even when users cannot see the table or when the presentation format is changed (by reflowing the PDF for example). Relationships are represented in columns and rows that must be recognizable in order for the logical relationships to be perceived by assistive technologies.
To do so, simply make sure tabular information in PDF documents is marked in the tag tree of the PDF document, using any tool designed for authoring PDF documents that provides accessibility support. The great news about PDF data tables is that the syntax is exactly the same as in HTML, so authors who are familiar with HTML markup will easily apply that knowledge to PDF table markup. Creating association [...]