PDF table without header markup Screen reader compatibility

Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers

Actual Result: causes problems in 40 screen reader / browser combinations

For expected failures, the results show which AT combos the failures affect. Results are recorded from the user's viewpoint, so describe the user impact of authoring errors.

Code used for this test:

		<a href='SR_PDF_tables_no_headers.pdf'>SR_PDF_tables_no_headers.pdf</a>
	

Change History

Last updated: September 11, 2022

• NVDA with Chrome Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2
• NVDA with IE Causes problems from NVDA 2017.3 to NVDA 2019.2
• NVDA with FF Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2
• JAWS with Chrome Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
• JAWS with IE Causes problems from JAWS 17.0.2007 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
• JAWS with FF Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
• VoiceOver macOS Causes problems from VoiceOver macOS 10.14 to VoiceOver macOS 12.5
• VoiceOver iOS Causes problems from VoiceOver iOS 12.4 to VoiceOver iOS 15.6

Screen reader	Browser	Mode	Notes	What the user hears
NVDA 2022.2	Chrome 105	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
NVDA 2022.2	FF102	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Table with 2 rows and 2 columns, row 1, column 1, morning. Column 2, afternoon. Row 2, column 1, free. Column 2, busy. Out of table.
NVDA 2022.2	Edge 105	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
NVDA 2021.2	Chrome 94	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
NVDA 2021.2	FF91	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Table with 1 rows and 2 columns, column header, column 1, morning. Column 2, afternoon. Column 1, free. Column 2, busy. Out of table.
NVDA 2021.2	Edge 94	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
NVDA 2020.2	Chrome 86	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
NVDA 2020.2	FF78	Reading	No table structure voiced - no table roles showing in Firefox accessibility inspector.	Morning. Afternoon. Free. Busy
NVDA 2020.2	Edge 92	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
NVDA 2019.2	Chrome 79	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
NVDA 2019.2	FF68	Reading	No table structure voiced - no table roles showing in Firefox accessibility inspector.	Morning. Afternoon. Free. Busy
NVDA 2019.2	IE11	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Table with 2 rows and 2 columns, row 1, column 1, morning. Column 2, afternoon. Row 2, column 1, free. Column 2, busy. Out of table.
NVDA 2018.4	Chrome 73	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
NVDA 2018.4	FF60	Reading	No table structure voiced - no table roles showing in Firefox accessibility inspector.	Morning. Afternoon. Free. Busy
NVDA 2018.4	IE11	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Table with 2 rows and 2 columns, row 1, column 1, morning. Column 2, afternoon. Row 2, column 1, free. Column 2, busy. Out of table.
NVDA 2017.3	IE11	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Table with 2 rows and 2 columns, row 1, column 1, morning. Column 2, afternoon. Row 2, column 1, free. Column 2, busy. Out of table.
JAWS 2022.2207.25	Chrome 105	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2022.2207.25	FF102	Reading	No cell headers voiced, and graphic role voiced for non-graphics.	Table with 2 columns and 2 rows. Morning, graphic (column 1). Afternoon, graphic (column 1). Free, graphic (column 1). Busy, graphic (column 2).
JAWS 2022.2207.25	Edge 105	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2021.2107.12	Chrome 94	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2021.2107.12	FF91	Reading	No cell headers voiced, and graphic role voiced for non-graphics.	Table with 2 columns and 2 rows. Morning, graphic (column 1). Afternoon, graphic (column 1). Free, graphic (column 1). Busy, graphic (column 2).
JAWS 2021.2107.12	Edge 94	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2020.2008.24	Chrome 86	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2020.2008.24	FF78	Reading	No table structure voiced - no table roles showing in Firefox accessibility inspector.	Morning, afternoon, free, busy.
JAWS 2020.2008.24	Edge 92	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2019.1912.1	Chrome 79	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2019.1912.1	FF68	Reading	No table structure voiced - no table roles showing in Firefox accessibility inspector.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2019.1912.1	IE11	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Table with 2 columns and 2 rows. Morning (column 1, row 1, morning). Afternoon (column 2, row 1, afternoon). Free (column 1, row 2, free). Busy (column 2, row 2, busy).
JAWS 2018.1811.2	Chrome 73	Reading	No table structure voiced.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2018.1811.2	FF60	Reading	No table structure voiced - no table roles showing in Firefox accessibility inspector.	Morning, afternoon. Free, busy.
JAWS 2018.1811.2	IE11	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Table with 2 columns and 2 rows. Morning (column 1, row 1, morning). Afternoon (column 2, row 1, afternoon). Free (column 1, row 2, free). Busy (column 2, row 2, busy).
JAWS 17.0.2007	IE11	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Table with 2 columns and 2 rows. Morning (column 1, row 1, morning). Afternoon (column 2, row 1, afternoon). Free (column 1, row 2, free). Busy (column 2, row 2, busy).
VoiceOver macOS 12.5	Safari 15.6	Reading	No cell headers voiced. Row and column position voiced twice.	Morning, column 1, row 1. Afternoon, column 2, row 1. Free, column 1, row 2. Busy, column 2, row 2.
VoiceOver macOS 11.5	Safari 15.0	Reading	No cell headers voiced. Row and column position voiced twice.	Morning, column 1, row 1, column 1, row 1. Afternoon, column 2, row 1, column 2, row 1. Free, column 1, row 2, column 1, row 2. Busy, column 2, row 2, column 2, row 2.
VoiceOver macOS 10.15	Safari 14.1	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Morning, column 1, row 1. Afternoon, column 2, row 1. Free, column 1, row 2. Busy, column 2, row 2.
VoiceOver macOS 10.14	Safari 13.0	Reading	No cell headers voiced.	Morning, column 1, row 1. Afternoon, column 2, row 1. Free, column 1, row 2. Busy, column 2, row 2.
VoiceOver iOS 15.6	Safari iOS 15.6	Touch	No cell headers voiced.	Morning, row 1, column 1, table start, 2 rows, 2 columns. Afternoon, row 1, column 2. Free, row 2, column 1. Busy, row 2, column 2, table end.
VoiceOver iOS 14.7	Safari iOS 14.7	Touch	No cell headers voiced.	Morning, row 1, column 1, table start, 2 rows, 2 columns. Afternoon, row 1, column 2. Free, row 2, column 1. Busy, row 2, column 2, table end.
VoiceOver iOS 13.3	Safari iOS 13.3	Touch	No cell headers voiced.	Morning, row 1, column 1, table start, 2 rows, 2 columns. Afternoon, row 1, column 2. Free, row 2, column 1. Busy, row 2, column 2, table end.
VoiceOver iOS 12.4	Safari iOS 12.4	Touch	No cell headers voiced.	Morning, row 1, column 1, table start, 2 rows, 2 columns. Afternoon, row 1, column 2. Free, row 2, column 1. Busy, row 2, column 2, table end.

Test notes

All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.

Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:

• Reading Content read using the “read next” command in a screen reader
• Tabbing Content read using the “tab” key in a screen reader
• Heading Content read using the “next heading” key in a screen reader
• Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device

In the “What the user hears” column:

• Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
• Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the “read next” or “tab” or “next heading” command is pressed again
• Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
• (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear