Please check the Health, Well-being, & Safety homepage or the Student Affairs homepage for hours, student service offerings, and contact methods.

The Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) is open during regular business hours, Monday-Friday, from 8:00am-5:00pm (except for University Holidays and Closures, and periodic department training/in-service events). The SDRC may be reached at 951-827-3861 or sdrc@ucr.edu. If you need to register for services, please visit this webpage. If you would like to request an appointment with a disability specialist, please go to the Appointment Request Form. If you plan to come to the SDRC offices or Testing Center (at Student Services Building), please read this information before you go.

Student Disability Resource Center

The SDRC is Here for You

Accessible PowerPoint: Tables

In general, avoid tables if possible and present the data another way, like paragraphs with headings. Tables with fixed width might prove difficult to read for people who use Magnifier, because such tables force the content to a specific size. This makes the font very small, which forces Magnifier users to scroll horizontally, especially on mobile devices.
If you have to use tables, use the following guidelines to make sure your table is as accessible as possible:
  • Avoid fixed width tables.
  • Make sure the tables render properly on all devices, including phones and tablets.
  • If you have hyperlinks in your table, edit the link texts, so they make sense and don't break mid-sentence.
  • Make sure the slide content is easily read with Magnifier. View it on a mobile device to make sure people won’t need to horizontally scroll the slide on a phone, for example.
  • Use table headers.
  • Test accessibility with Immersive Reader.

Use Table Headers

Screen readers keep track of their location in a table by counting table cells. If a table is nested within another table or if a cell is merged or split, the screen reader loses count and can’t provide helpful information about the table after that point. Blank cells in a table could also mislead someone using a screen reader into thinking that there is nothing more in the table. Use a simple table structure for data only and specify column header information. Screen readers also use header information to identify rows and columns.
To ensure that tables don't contain split cells, merged cells, or nested tables, use the Accessibility Checker.
  1. Place the cursor anywhere in a table.
  2. On the Table Design tab, in the Table Styles Options group, select the Header Row checkbox.
  3. Type your column headings.