Tables
Tables are a great option to provide a structured way of showing large amounts of information and they make organizing information in a clean and readable way very easy.
Create accessible tables
An accessible table must contain the following:
- Caption
- Table row and/or column headers
- Information/Data
An accessible table should never contain:
- Blank cells
- Headers (Header 3, Header 4, etc.) Use Table or Row Headers instead.
Use a caption
To distinguish one table from another on the page, each table needs a unique caption.
A table without a caption violates SC 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A) and SC 2.4.6: Headings and Labels (Level AA)
Use row and column headers
When creating a table, it is required for accessibility to include table headers (both row and column headers are preferred) that properly label the information its relative column and row contains. As stated within the Web Accessibility Tutorials — Table Concepts:
Header cells must be marked up with <th>, and data cells with <td> to make tables accessible. For more complex tables, explicit associations may be needed using scope, id, and headers attributes.
A lack of table headers violates the WCAG 2.1 1.3.1 Info and Relationships standard.
For more information regarding Table Accessibility, please check out the following:
- Tables - from Stanford's Office of Digital Accessibility
- Web Accessibility Tutorials — Table Concepts
- Tables - Video from the Department of Education
Create a table
- In the Text Area, click the table icon:
- Decide how many rows and columns you want.

- Add table header and column. For your table to be accessible, unless you're creating a calendar, you'll want both a table header row and column.
- Delete the width and height properties (Drupal will fill the max-width based on the display device).
- Click OK.
Edit a table
Right-click an existing table to edit cells and the number of rows and columns.

Add column headers
To create column headers:
- Select the Row you wish to use as a header for your columns.
- Look for the Header column toggle. Column headers are added when the toggle is slid to the right.
- If not already on the right, click the toggle.
Add row headers
To create row headers:
- Select the Column you wish to use as a header for your rows.
- Look for the Header column toggle. Row headers are added when the toggle is slid to the right.
- If not already on the right, click the toggle.


Insert text or images before or after a table
If you need to insert just before or after a table:
- Click on the table and a yellow outline around the table will appear with two arrows
- To insert before the table, click on the top arrow
- To insert after the table, click on the bottom arrow

Example table
Here is an example of content that is suitable for a table.
| Year | USA | CHN | RUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 104 | 88 | 82 |
| 2008 | 110 | 100 | 72 |
| 2004 | 103 | 62 | 92 |
By default, the table layout is responsive to the user's screen size and will fold into a two-column layout with headers on the left for a viewport that is 640px or less.

*Resize your browser to view responsive behavior.
💡 To learn more about accessible data tables
See
- UIT Office of Digital Accessibility (ODA) guidance on Accessible Data Tables
- Tables: Beyond Rows and Columns from TPGi
Related Topics
Customize tables
Customize the look and feel of your tables.
Working with the Text Editor
Learn about the most flexible tool you have with the Text Area Paragraph.

