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Layout table with role=presentation Screen reader compatibility

ARIA HTML
Dec 12, 2023

Expected Result: works in a screen reader

Actual Result: causes problems in 4 screen reader / browser combinations

This test shows what happens when non-tabular data is presented in a layout table with role=presentation.

Related tests: Data table with role=presentation

Code used for this test:


		<table role='presentation'>
		  <tbody>
			<tr>
			  <td><strong>Example</strong></td>
			  <td><strong>Navigation</strong></td>
			</tr>
			<tr>
			  <td>Links</td>
			  <td>Content</td>
			</tr>
		  </tbody>
		</table>

Reliability Trend

This graph shows reliability over time for this code in NVDA, JAWS and Voiceover. Other screen readers don't have enough historical data yet to plot trends.

100%80%60%40%20%0%2015100%2016100%2017100%201888%201988%2020100%2021100%2022100%2023100%

Change History

Last updated: December 12, 2023

  • Good NVDA with Chrome Stable - OK from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2023.3
  • Good NVDA with IE Stable - OK from NVDA 2014.1 to NVDA 2019.2
  • Good NVDA with FF Stable - OK from NVDA 2014.1 to NVDA 2023.3
  • Good JAWS with Chrome Stable - OK from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2023.2311.34
  • Good JAWS with IE Stable - OK from JAWS 14.0.9002 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
  • Good JAWS with FF Stable - OK from JAWS 14.0.9002 to JAWS 2023.2311.34
  • Good VoiceOver macOS Stable - OK from VoiceOver macOS 10.10 to VoiceOver macOS 13.6
  • Better VoiceOver iOS Better - caused problems in VoiceOver iOS 12.4, but now OK in VoiceOver iOS 16.6
  • Better WindowEyes with IE Better - caused problems in WindowEyes 8.4, but now OK in WindowEyes 9.2
  • Good Dolphin with IE OK in Dolphin SR 15.05
  • Bad SaToGo with IE Causes problems in SaToGo 3.6.22.0
Screen readerBrowserModeNotesWhat the user hears
OK NVDA 2023.3Chrome 120 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2023.3FF 115 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2023.3Edge 120 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2022.2Chrome 105 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2022.2FF 102 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2022.2Edge 105 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2021.2Chrome 94 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2021.2FF 91 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2021.2Edge 94 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2020.2Chrome 86 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2020.2FF 78 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2020.2Edge 92 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2019.2Chrome 79 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2019.2FF 68 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2019.2IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2018.4Chrome 73 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2018.4FF 60 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2018.4IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2017.3FF 60 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2017.3IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2016.2FF 48 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2016.2IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2015.2FF 41 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2015.2IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2014.1FF 31 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK NVDA 2014.1IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2023.2311.34Chrome 120 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2023.2311.34FF 115 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2023.2311.34Edge 120 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2022.2207.25Chrome 105 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2022.2207.25FF 102 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2022.2207.25Edge 105 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2021.2107.12Chrome 94 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2021.2107.12FF 91 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2021.2107.12Edge 94 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2020.2008.24Chrome 86 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2020.2008.24FF 78 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2020.2008.24Edge 92 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, navigation, links, content.
OK JAWS 2019.1912.1Chrome 79 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2019.1912.1FF 68 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2019.1912.1IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, navigation, links, content.
OK JAWS 2018.1811.2Chrome 73 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2018.1811.2FF 60 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 2018.1811.2IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, navigation, links, content.
OK JAWS 18.0.5038FF 52 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 18.0.5038IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, navigation, links, content.
OK JAWS 17.0.2619FF 48 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 17.0.2619IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, navigation, links, content.
OK JAWS 16.0.4350FF 41 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 16.0.4350IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 15.0.9023FF 31 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 15.0.9023IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 14.0.9002FF 31 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK JAWS 14.0.9002IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK WindowEyes 9.2IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
Fail WindowEyes 8.4IE11 Reading Presentation role ignored - treated as data table Table one start, two rows, two columns. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver macOS 13.6Safari 16.6 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver macOS 12.5Safari 15.6 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver macOS 11.5Safari 15.0 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.15Safari 14.1 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.14Safari 13.0 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.13Safari 12.1 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.12Safari 10.1.2 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.11Safari 9.1.2 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.10Safari 8.0.4 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver iOS 16.6Safari iOS 16.6 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, Navigation. Links, Content.
OK VoiceOver iOS 15.6Safari iOS 15.6 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, Navigation. Links, Content.
OK VoiceOver iOS 14.7Safari iOS 14.7 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, Navigation. Links, Content.
OK VoiceOver iOS 13.3Safari iOS 13.3 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, Navigation. Links, Content.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 12.4Safari iOS 12.4 Reading Presentation role ignored - announced as a table Example, table start. Navigation. Links. Content. Table end, end.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 11.4Safari iOS 11.4 Reading Presentation role ignored - announced as a table Example, table start. Navigation. Links. Content. Table end, end.
OK VoiceOver iOS 10.3Safari iOS 10.3 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example. Navigation. Links. Content.
OK VoiceOver iOS 9.1Safari iOS 9.1 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, navigation. Links, content.
OK VoiceOver iOS 8.4Safari iOS 8.4 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, navigation. Links, content.
OK VoiceOver iOS 7.1Safari iOS 7.1 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Example, navigation. Links, content.
OK Dolphin SR 15.05IE11 Reading Table treated as layout table - not announced as table. Normal, example. Navigation. Links. Content.
Fail SaToGo 3.6.22.0IE11 Reading Presentation role ignored - treated as data table Entering table, example. Navigation. Links. Content. Leaving table.

SortSite rules: AccHtmlTableNoHeaders

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