Accessible PowerPoint (implementation guide)

8.5. Complex tables

Complex tables are divided into several simple tables.

What is meant by this?

Complex tables are tables that contain a larger number of columns and rows and may represent multiple levels of data and information. They can be used, for example, in scientific reports, financial reports or in data analysis. Complex tables often contain different types of data, including numerical, textual and graphical data.

Why is it important?

A clear breakdown of tables is essential to ensure that they are accessible to all. This is particularly important for recipients with visual impairments or blindness, who may hear the presentation read aloud and have difficulty interpreting complex tables.

By splitting complex tables into simpler tables with clear headings and structures, the readability and comprehensibility of the presentation can be improved. Recipients with other impairments such as concentration problems or learning difficulties also benefit from this structure.

An example of this could be a financial report table that shows various key financial figures such as turnover, profit and loss. If this table is very extensive and contains a lot of complex information, it can be difficult to interpret for some recipients. By splitting it into several tables, for example a table for turnover, a table for profit and a table for loss, the information can be presented in a clearer and more understandable way.

How can I implement/check it?

To convert a complex table into several small tables in PowerPoint, you can follow the steps below:

1. Select the complex table by clicking on it.
2. Click on the "Layout" tab.
3. Within the "Layout" section, there are various options for editing the table.
4. Select the cells in the table that you want to convert into a separate table. You can do this by holding down the mouse button and dragging across the cells or by selecting a cell and then holding down the Shift key and selecting another cell to select a range.
5. Once the desired cells have been selected, use the key combination "Ctrl + X" to cut the selected cells from the original table.
6. Go to the place where you want to insert the new small table and right-click. Use the key combination "Ctrl + V" to insert the cut cells as a separate table.
7. Repeat the steps for each additional subset of cells that you want to convert as a separate table.

On a Mac, the "Command" key is used instead of the "Ctrl" key (also known as the "Command" key). The "Command" key is often labelled with the ⌘ symbol and fulfils similar functions to the "Ctrl" key on Windows computers.

To check your presentation for complex tables, look at the tables in the presentation. Are there any tables that you think are complex? Think about how you can divide all the information into several, simple tables.