Word 2007 Section 508 Accessibility Checklist

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No Header Row Specified

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Requirements for 508 compliance

Identify column and row header cells programmatically.

How to test

Data in Columns:

Are data column header cells identified in the first row?

To check the identification on the first row:

Place the cursor anywhere in the first row of the table.
In the Table Tools Tab, Layout Sub Tab, Data Group, the Repeat Header Rows button will be highlighted if the row is set as repeating.

Data in Rows:

Are data row header cells used in the first column? If used, convert to a an accessible format.

To check row headers in data tables:

Inspect the table headers and data to determine if row headers have been employed in the first column.
If the first column must contain row headers, convert the document to an accessible format for distribution.

How to fix

Data in Columns:

To identify the first row as column data headers:

Select the first row of the table
On the Layout Sub-Tab (of the Table Tools Tab), in the Data Group, select Repeat Header Rows.
The Repeat Header Rows button remains highlighted when set (and the cursor is placed in the header row).

Note: In addition to identifying the header row, this function also makes header appear on each new page (where a table spans more than one page).

Data in Rows:

To identify the first column as row data headers:

A table is divided into five columns with column and row headers. The first row has headers for each column. The first column has headers for each row.

This cannot be done in MS Word. If the first column must contain row headers:

Fix any other accessibility issues with this MS Word document.
Convert the document to an accessible format for distribution.

Examples

Identify column and row header cells programmatically.

Correct:

(Select the image to download example file in MS Word format)

A word is selected in the header row of the table. At the same time 'Repeat as Header Row' shows in the Table area of the Reveal Formatting Pane.

Incorrect:

(Select the image to download example file in MS Word format)

A word is selected in the header row of a table. An arrow points to where the 'Repeat Header Row' setting is missing from the Reveal Formatting Pane. Another table shows a header column for each row, showing this cannot be set properly in MS Word.

Rationale

Identify column and row header cells programmatically.

Sighted users can visually scan up and across a data table to find row and column headers. Correctly labeling rows and columns headers allows non-sighted users can make this association.

Legal References

508 references:

1194.22(g); 1194.22(h); 1194.31(a); 1194.31(b).

WCAG references:

1.3.1-H51.

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