Accessible PowerPoint (implementation guide)
The PowerPoint Accessibility Implementation Guide serves as support for the PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist. The order of the aspects and the structure according to categories are the same.
Each aspect is divided into three sections in the implementation guide:
Under the heading "What is meant by this?" you will find a detailed description of the aspect to be ticked off. The section "Why is it important?" describes which barriers you are removing with the respective aspect and for which groups of people this is essential. Finally, under the heading "How can I implement/check this?" you will find detailed instructions on how to implement or check the respective aspect.
8. Table
8.2. Column headings
All column headings are marked as "Heading", all row headings (if available) as "First column".
What is meant by this?
A clear structure in tables is achieved using column and row headings. The "Heading" displays how the content is organised in the columns, while the "First column" sorts the content within the rows. To ensure that a table can be read out correctly by a screen reader or voice output, the column and row headings should be marked as "Heading" and "First column" respectively.
If all column headings are marked as "Heading", the contents of the table can be clearly assigned. The same applies to row headings that are marked as "First column". These markings make it possible to recognise the table content correctly and clearly.
Why is it important?
Incorrect formatting of tables can result in the content and structure of the table being unclear or incomprehensible to users of screen readers and speech output devices. For example, if column or row headings are not marked as "Heading" or "First column", the screen reader or voice output cannot interpret the structure of the table correctly and cannot understand the order within the table. As a result, important information may be lost or misinterpreted.
How can I implement/check it?
Here are instructions on how to mark column headings as "Heading" and all row headings (if available) as "First column" in PowerPoint:
- Go to the slide containing the table you want to edit. Click on the table to select it. This activates the "Table design" tab in the menu bar.
- Click on the "Table design" tab in the menu bar. There you will find the "Table formation options" section. There are two options within this section: "Heading" and "First column".
- Mark the first row (column headings) as a "Header": Click on the checkbox next to "Header". This formats the first row as a header row, which means that it is visually set apart from the rest of the data in the table.
- Mark the row headings as "First column": Click on the checkbox next to "First column". This formats the row headings as the first column, which means that they are visually set apart from the rest of the data in the table.
- If you already have existing data in the table, you should ensure that the column and row headings are marked correctly. Check whether the formatting meets your expectations and adjust it if necessary.