Accessible data tables must have the following features:
- Row and column headers
- Association between data cells and header cells (i.e. scope attribute)
For complex data tables, it is also helpful to do the following:
- Add a Table Caption
- Add a Summary Attribute
- Use a Simple Layout
- Avoid Blank and Merged Cells
Many types of products allow users to create data tables in a resource (e.g. word processing software, web development tools, and slide presentation software); however, not every product provides easy editing tools for adding the above features. In these situations, it is possible to make the table accessible if the product allows access to the html code of the resource. W3C provides an extensive tutorial on how to edit the html code to create accessible tables of varying layouts.