- Success Criterion 1.3.1
- Conformance level A
Table Semantics Wrongly Applied to Non-Tabular Layout Content
1.3.1 — Info and Relationships
Scenario
Setting
A used-car marketplace's listing filter
What’s wrong
Table semantics applied to non-tabular content for layout, announcing a false data table.
Example
This shows up on a used-car marketplace's listing filter: table semantics applied to non-tabular content for layout, announcing a false data table.
Why it matters
Screen-reader, braille, and reading-tool users who depend on coded structure rather than visual layout. In this case (a used-car marketplace's listing filter), they can't tell what's going on without extra effort.
How to test
Inspect a layout-only grid (used purely for visual arrangement) for table or role="table"/"row"/"cell": if present, it falsely announces as a data table to screen readers.
How to fix
Remove table semantics from layout-only content (use CSS, or role="presentation" (code that strips an element's meaning) on a true layout table).
Outcome
Once corrected, a used-car marketplace's listing filter lets them navigate the content in a sensible order.
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