- Success Criterion 1.3.1
- Conformance level A
Multi-Level Data Table With No Header Associations
1.3.1 — Info and Relationships
Scenario
Setting
A nonprofit's donation form
What’s wrong
Complex tables (multi-level headers, spans) without headers/id associations (code linking data cells to their headers).
Example
<div class="heading">Shipping Address</div>Why it matters
Screen-reader, braille, and reading-tool users who depend on coded structure rather than visual layout.
How to test
Navigate a multi-level header table with a screen reader's table mode: each data cell should announce all applicable header levels — if not, headers/id associations are missing.
How to fix
Add headers/id associations (code linking data cells to their headers) so each data cell announces all of its header levels.
<h2>Shipping Address</h2>A real heading element exposes the section structure to assistive tech; a styled div doesn't.
Outcome
On a nonprofit's donation form, this barrier is gone for screen-reader, braille — they reach the same outcome without extra effort.
Who is affected
Screen-reader, braille, and reading-tool users who depend on coded structure rather than visual layout.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Text Styled to Look Like a Heading Instead of Coded as One
- Text Columns Faked With Spaces Instead of Real Table Markup
- Table Layout Faked With Spaces Instead of Real Table Code
- Clickable Div Acting as a Link Button With No Real Role
- Structural HTML Tags Used Purely for Visual Styling
- Layout-Only Table Wrongly Coded With Real Header Cells