In Section 4.10.1.1 of HTML 5 various alternatives to the dropped table summary attribute are described. Here are testing results for the examples and for the previous table summary with and without a caption.
| FF27.0.1/JAWS15 | IE11/JAWS15 | FF27.0.1/NVDA2014.1 | IE11/NVDA2014.1 | CHROME/JAWS15 | CHROME/NVDA2014.1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example 1: In Prose surrounding table with aria-describedby | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Works. Reads Describedby 1st then caption | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Did not read | Works: Describedby text |
| Example 2: Inside the caption element | Works, but it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Works, but it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Works, but it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Works, but it is a long caption | Did not read | Works, but it is a long caption |
| Example 3: In Caption wrapped in details | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Did not read | ...details is properly hidden, but the collapsed summary doesn't announce that it is collapsed or that there is more content available in the details |
| Example 4: Next to Caption in the figure Element | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no JAWS command to go to a figure element. | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no JAWS command to go to a figure element. | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no NVDA command to go to a figure element. | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no NVDA command to go to a figure element. | Did not read | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no JAWS command to go to a figure element. |
| Example 5 Next to the table, in the same figure | Same as 4 above, not supported | Same as 4 above, not supported | Same as 4 above, not supported | Same as 4 above, not supported | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no JAWS command to go to a figure element. | |
| Example 6 Table Summary attribute that has been dropped from HTML5 | Works | Works | Works | Works | Works | |
| Example 7 Table Summary attribute with a caption | Works | Works | Works | Summary reads, Caption is not read when table gets focus, but both read using arrow keys | Summary not read when table gets focus but read using arrow keys | |
| Example 8: In Prose surrounding table with aria-describedby | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Works. Reads Describedby 1st then caption | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table |
In the following table, characteristics are given in the second column, with the negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right column.
| Negative | Characteristic | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Sad | Mood | Happy |
| Failing | Grade | Passing |
| Negative | Characteristic | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Sad | Mood | Happy |
| Failing | Grade | Passing |
| Negative | Characteristic | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Sad | Mood | Happy |
| Failing | Grade | Passing |
Characteristics are given in the second column, with the negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right column.
| Negative | Characteristic | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Sad | Mood | Happy |
| Failing | Grade | Passing |
Characteristics are given in the second column, with the negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right column.
| Negative | Characteristic | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Sad | Mood | Happy |
| Failing | Grade | Passing |
| Negative | Characteristic | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Sad | Mood | Happy |
| Failing | Grade | Passing |
| Negative | Characteristic | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Sad | Mood | Happy |
| Failing | Grade | Passing |
In the following table Characteristics are given in the second column, with the negative side in the left column and the positive side in the right column.
| Negative | Characteristic | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Sad | Mood | Happy |
| Failing | Grade | Passing |
| IE9/JAWS14 | IE9/NVDA12 | FF21/JAWS14 | FF21/NVDA12 | CHROME/JAWS | CHROME/NVDA12 | MACOS VO/Firefox | MACOS |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example 1: In Prose surrounding table with aria-describedby | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Describedby text doesn't read when focus is on the table | Describedby reads but caption does not | Describedby reads but caption does not |
| Example 2: Inside the caption element | Works, but it is a long caption | Works, but it is a long caption | Works, but it is a long caption | Works, but it is a long caption | Doesn't read, caption content is not exposed | Works, but it is a long caption | Partial, it does not show the table and its caption as one entity | OK |
| Example 3: In Caption wrapped in details | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption. No distinction between the summary and the caption | Doesn't read, caption content is not exposed. details is properly hidden, but the collapsed summary doesn't announce that it is collapsed or that there is more content available in the details | Reads OK ...BUT ...details is properly hidden, but the collapsed summary doesn't announce that it is collapsed or that there is more content available in the details | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption | Reads OK but details doesn't visually hide, it is a long caption |
| Example 4: Next to Caption in the figure Element | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no JAWS command to go to a figure element. | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no NVDA command to go to a figure element. | Announces "group start" for the figure, but it doesn't read if the table is given focus | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no NVDA command to go to a figure element. | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no JAWS command to go to a figure element. | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no JAWS command to go to a figure element. | Partial, it does not show the table and its caption as one entity | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user focuses on table it doesn't |
| Example 5 Next to the table, in the same figure | Same as 4 above, not supported | Same as 4 above, not supported | Same as 4 above, not supported | Same as 4 above, not supported | Same as 4, not supported | It reads if the user navigates to the figure element but if the user hits "t" to go to the table it doesn't so it is not programmatically associated with the table. There is no JAWS command to go to a figure element. | Partial, it does not show the table and its caption as one entity | Same as 4 |
| Table Summary attribute that has been dropped from HTML5 | Works | Works | Works | Works | Works | Works | Summary does not read, the table and its caption not shown as one entity | Summary does not read |
| Table Summary attribute with a caption | Works | Works | Works | Summary reads, Caption is not read when table gets focus, but both read using arrow keys | Works | Summary not read when table gets focus but read using arrow keys | Summary reads, Caption does not. | Caption Reads Summary does not read |