Problem:
As HTML evolves, new flexibility is being introduced. Tables and other
constructs allow text to be laid out in side by side paragraphs and other
formats which cause difficulties for screen readers which will usually
read a row in a table as a sentence.
For Microsoft Windows, browsers could be designed to use child windows
for each place in the table, and render into the child windows. Doing this
would allow screen readers to interpret the page layout and develop techniques
to navigate through the table hierarchy.
Solution strategies for today
8-1: Keep layouts simple and straightforward
8-2: Avoid side by side presentation of text
8-3: Avoid using graphics to provide organization or structure to the document. Use HTML.
8-4: Where following guidelines 8-1 to 8-3 would interfere with the presentation of the information for some reason, a text-only page which presents the same information in an accessible format could be used.
Please send comments and suggestions to: web-team@trace.wisc.edu