[Athen] [EXTERNAL] Re: Marking Table Headers in Word

[Karlen Communications]

If you go to the Design Ribbon for Tables, to the far right are the check boxes for First Column and Header Row.

 



 

In your Word document, these are checked. I went back as far as Word 2003 and they are checked. What changed, is how they are interpreted with the conversion to PDF tools. They used to have no meaning, now they determine <TH> Tags for First Column (Row Titles) and Header Row (Column titles).

 

Cheers, Karen

 

 

 

From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> On Behalf Of Heather Mariger
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2019 6:29 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] [EXTERNAL] Re: Marking Table Headers in Word

 

Greetings,

 

Here is an example I used for testing. I could not find the "top row" checkbox you mentioned - is that a 365 thing?

 

I have also attached the resulting PDF. Any ideas are welcome...

 

Thanks,

H.

 

Heather Mariger

Digital Accessibility Advocate

 

Center for Academic Innovation

Chemeketa Community College

4000 Lancaster Drive NE - 9/126A

Salem, OR 97305

 

503.589.7832

 

*****************

Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance. 

Verna Myers, author and speaker 



 

 

On Fri, Sep 20, 2019 at 3:00 PM Sean Keegan <skeegan at ccctechcenter.org <mailto:skeegan at ccctechcenter.org> > wrote:

Hi Heather,

 

Can you share the MS Word document?

 

I just ran a quick test with a simple data table using MS Word 365 and Acrobat Pro DC. Word is version 1908 and Acrobat DC is 19.012.20040. I tested two similar tables with the following parameters:

 

1) Header Rows checkbox selected + First Row checkbox selected

 

2) With Header Rows and First Row checkbox selected and Repeat As Header Row at the Top of Each Page checkbox selected.

 

 

For MS Word, the Accessibility Checker is showing no errors for the data table.

 

When converting to PDF (via Adobe Acrobat plugin), I now get the <TH> elements on the correct table cells (the column headers and the first row headers). This happens for both situation #1 and #2 listed above; in other words, no real difference in the PDF tagging.

 

Using a previous version of MS Word (not 365), I know I received a difference in the PDF output when I did NOT check the Repeat as Header Row at the Top of Each Page option. However, is using the latest MS Word 365 and Adobe Acrobat DC to create the PDF, then you will get the correct <TH> elements in both situation #1 and #2.

 

Sounds like there is now discrepancy between MS Word 2019 and 365 if every single table cell is receiving the <TH> element if checking both Header options. Super fun...

 

Take care,

Sean

 

 

On Fri, Sep 20, 2019 at 12:16 PM Heather Mariger <heather.mariger at chemeketa.edu <mailto:heather.mariger at chemeketa.edu> > wrote:

Greetings,

 

Regarding table headings in Word - I found an odd issue with converting tables to PDF from Word. We just converted to Office 2019.

 

When I create a table, I check the Header Row box and the Repeat Header Rows (as I was taught - and have subsequently taught to faculty). However, whenever I convert the document to a PDF, it labels EVERY cell as a Table Header. I tried multiple iterations and found that checking Header Row ONLY, it will label the table headers and data rows correctly.

 

Has anyone else had this issue? Is the Word Document still properly formatted if I tell them to only check the Header Row box?

 

Thanks,

H.

 

Heather Mariger

Digital Accessibility Advocate

 

Center for Academic Innovation

Chemeketa Community College

4000 Lancaster Drive NE - 9/126A

Salem, OR 97305

 

503.589.7832

 

*****************

Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance. 

Verna Myers, author and speaker 



 

 

On Fri, Sep 20, 2019 at 8:52 AM Sean Keegan <skeegan at ccctechcenter.org <mailto:skeegan at ccctechcenter.org> > wrote:


> My question is whether it is best to use one method 



> over the other, or should we use both?


 

In working with Word 365 recently, I found that it's best to do both - that is, mark the Header Row option in the Table Design Ribbon and mark the Repeat Header Rows. The Word Accessibility Checker was throwing the error if you did not check the Header Row option and if you were converting to PDF, then the Repeat Header Rows needed to be checked as well if you wanted those cells to be recognized as <TH> elements.

 

Microsoft has a video for Creating Accessible Tables in Word (see https://support.office.com/en-us/article/video-create-accessible-tables-in-word-cb464015-59dc-46a0-ac01-6217c62210e5). The best part is that the "Try It!" section identifies how to create a table with headers using the Header Row option in the Table Styles Options group. The video, however, demonstrates how to go into the Table Properties and in the Row tab, to check the "Repeat as header row at the top of each page" option. So much for consistency.

 

To Karen's point, you never know how the document may be changed. Further, with both MS Word and Acrobat now moving to a more continuous release cycle for the apps, you never know when the vendors will make changes behind the scenes.

 

Take care,
Sean

 

 

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