Introduction

Below you will learn about the different types of tables you may encounter on a webpage. You will also learn how you can navigate tables using the Dolphin Cursor and adjust what you are told as you navigate.

Reading time: 5 minutes approx.

Video – Controlling output with Verbosity Schemes

Types of tables

There are two types of tables used by web authors.

These are:

• Tables used to help authors structure the content on a webpage. These are referred to as layout tables. Modern authors will try to avoid the use of such tables in favour of CSS.
• Tables to display tabular data for easy consumption by the reader such as a football league table or table showing sales figures. These are referred to as data tables.

SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader take no action when you navigate through a layout table. In such a situation, SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader recognises that information about a cell’s properties is unrequired.

When you encounter a data table, and are using an appropriate Verbosity Scheme, SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader will inform you that you have encountered a table and provide its dimensions.

As you navigate down through the table, you will move through the content of a cell before moving onto the next cell in the row. When you reach the last cell in the row, you will be automatically positioned onto the first cell in the next row.

Navigating to data tables

You can move the Dolphin Cursor to the next table on a webpage by pressing T, and you can move the Dolphin Cursor to the previous table on a webpage by pressing SHIFT + T.

If you are using an appropriate Verbosity Scheme, when the Dolphin cursor encounters the table, you will be told the properties of the table. This includes if the table has headings and the number of columns and rows in the table.

You can also review and move focus to a table on a webpage by using the SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader Item Finder (CAPS LOCK + TAB). On selecting the Tables page, you will view a list of the tables present on the webpage. Selecting a table from the list will close the dialog box and move the Dolphin Cursor to the table.

Adjusting output as you navigate a data table

The amount of information you are told as you navigate through a table is controlled by your Verbosity Scheme. A Minimum Verbosity Scheme sets only the text in a cell to be output while choosing a Low, Medium, or High Verbosity Scheme brings additional information about the cell properties, notably, the cell’s column and row headings and coordinates.

To change Speech Verbosity Scheme: Press CAPS LOCK + EQUALS or, if you are using the Laptop Universal Hotkey Set, press CAPS LOCK + V.

To change Braille Verbosity Scheme: Press LEFT SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + EQUALS or, if you are using the Laptop Universal Hotkey Set, press LEFT CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + V.

Announcing column and row headings

SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader will automatically read column and row headings when you navigate within a properly tagged table. A properly tagged table is one that uses the TH tag and, where necessary, the Scope attribute to define headings.

The following three sample tables provide differing levels of accessibility. You should try exploring each table to discover what is output as you navigate with the Dolphin Cursor. You should ensure you are using the Medium or High Verbosity Scheme for your review.

As you navigate the first row in this table, you are told the cell contents followed by its column position, for example, "Team, Column 2".

As you move through the main body of the table, the column heading precedes the cell content and coordinates. For example, "Team, Sheffield Steelers, column 2". This helps to keep you orientated as you navigate the table.

Tip: Why not try revisiting the table above and navigate through its content using the different Verbosity Schemes. For example, if you find the announcements are too verbose, try the Minimum Verbosity Scheme. Going forward, it is possible that you may regularly adjust your Verbosity Scheme depending on how complex or familiar you are with a table’s layout.

As you navigate the main body of this table, both the column and row headings precede the cell content and coordinates. For example, "Apples, Sold in January, 180, column 2".

To help you work efficiently, both the Low and Medium Verbosity Schemes have been configured to announce headings and row and column coordinates only when they change.

For example, moving from:

"Apples, Sold in January, 180, column 2".

To the next cell, you are told:

"Oranges, 175, column 3”

The "Sold in January" heading is excluded from the speech because it hasn’t changed. You are still navigating across the same row.

Tip: If you switch to a High Verbosity Scheme, you will always be told the headings and row and column coordinates as you move from cell to cell.

Irrespective of your Verbosity Scheme, you can make use of the following Speak keys to review your table properties:

• Speak row and column headings by pressing NUMPAD 3 or, if you are using the Laptop Universal Hotkey Set, press LEFT SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + LEFT ARROW.
• Speak table information by pressing LEFT SHIFT + NUMPAD 0 or, if you are using the Laptop Universal Hotkey Set, press LEFT CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW.
  
  

As this sample table contains no defined headings, SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader only appends the cell coordinates to help you identify your position within the table.

Tip: You can learn more about creating accessible tables and find further examples to explore at W3C Table Tutorials (opens in new tab).

Video – Keyboard commands for navigating tables

Navigating columns and rows with the Dolphin Cursor

As previously mentioned, when you navigate through a table using the Dolphin cursor, you move down the cell’s content before moving onto the next cell in the row. Once you reach the last cell in the row, you are automatically moved onto the next row in the table.

SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader include additional hotkeys to help you quickly navigate columns and rows. The following table lists these hotkeys, which you may want to try out as you navigate.

Dolphin Cursor Table Layer Keys

You can use the SuperNova and Dolphin Cursor Table layer to make exploring tables even easier. The use of the table layer enables you to navigate a table using simple keypresses and includes additional navigation keys.

Table Speak keys

The following are popular Speak keys you can use while navigating tables outside of the table layer.

Summary

In this section you discovered how to navigate to a table on a webpage and the ways you can navigate through the table’s content. You also learnt that changing the Verbosity Scheme will alter the amount of information you are told as you navigate.

Quiz

1. You can press the X key to move the Dolphin Cursor to the next table on a webpage. Is this statement true?
2. Changing your Verbosity Scheme alters how much information you are told when navigating a table. Is this statement true?
3. You can move the Dolphin Cursor down the cells in a column. Is this statement true?

End of section

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But before you move on, here are the answers to the quiz questions:

1. False.
2. True.
3. True.