It is the week before the semester starts, and your compliance notice says your syllabus contains inaccessible tables. You open the document and see what looks like a simple grading table and maybe a weekly schedule. It looks organized. It is readable. Students have used it for years. So what exactly is wrong?
Often the problem is not the fact that you used a table. The problem is that the table has visual formatting but no structural information for assistive technology. A screen reader does not interpret a table the way a sighted reader does. It relies on markup that tells it which cells are headers, which are data, and how rows and columns relate to one another.
What a Non-Compliant Table Looks Like
Picture a grading table that simply lists "Midterm | 25%" and "Final | 30%" without any header row. Visually, a sighted reader may infer that the percentages represent grade weight. A screen reader user may hear "Midterm, 25 percent" without any structural clue about what the number means. Once you add a real header row such as "Assignment" and "Weight" and mark it as a header row in Word, that relationship becomes much clearer.
Why Table Headers Matter
Screen readers often read data cells together with their headers. That means a student can hear "Weight, 25 percent" instead of an isolated number with no context. The same principle matters in weekly schedules, reading charts, office-hour grids, and assignment calendars. Accessible tables are not about decoration. They are about preserving relationships between pieces of information.
How to Fix Tables in Word
Open the syllabus and find every table. For each one, ask whether the first row labels the columns in a meaningful way. If not, add headers. Then mark the first row as a real header row in Word rather than simply bolding it. After that, check whether the table is simple enough to navigate. Regular rows and columns are much safer than merged cells, nested tables, blank spacing cells, or layout tricks.
When a Table Should Become a List
Not every set of information needs to live in a table. If the content does not depend on relationships between rows and columns, a short list may actually be more accessible and easier to maintain. A simple grade breakdown written as a list can be better than a complex table designed mainly for visual neatness.
Common Faculty Mistakes
One common mistake is using tables for page layout rather than for data. Another is relying on merged cells because they look tidy. Faculty also often assume a bold top row is enough to create headers, when the row really needs to be marked structurally. These are all understandable habits, but they create confusion for assistive technology.
FAQ
What makes a table accessible in Word?
Usually it means the table has a designated header row, clear row and column relationships, and a simple structure.
Is bold text enough to create a table header?
No. Bold affects appearance, not structure.
Are merged cells allowed?
Sometimes, but they often make accessibility worse. Simpler tables are usually safer.
Can I use a list instead of a table?
Yes. If the information does not require row-and-column relationships, a list may be better.
A Practical Place to Start
If your syllabus includes grading tables, schedule tables, or assignment charts and you are not sure whether the structure is accessible, upload it to AdaDocumentMaker and review which tables need attention before the semester starts.