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Ulrika_G
Ulrika_G
Participating Frequently
September 27, 2021
Answered

Accessibility check: what is the "Table Header" asked for?

  • September 27, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 9822 views

When making Word templates, I use the table design tools and make tables with header rows etc. passing the accessibility check in Word. 

 

When exported to PDF, I get this check result:

The TD and TH check passed, but failed on "Headers". What headers are these? On the upper table, I added a visible header but find no way to connect it to the table... 

 

According to the Microsoft support, everything is correct in Word. So what can be done to get this check passed??

I tried to change the proporties for the second table in Adobe Acrobat, thus some of this information would be the Table Header, but still it doesn't pass the Table Header check...

 

 

What's the consequence on accessibility if I skip the Header check? Just as the Summary is skipped per default...??

 

Hope for helpful competence out here!

 

Best regards,
Ulrika

Correct answer Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com

@Sara_VL and @Ulrika_G ,

Recap of what has been covered:

 

  1. Format your Word document and table correctly. (See above.)
     
    2. Don't use Adobe's PDF Maker to export the PDF. It is severely broken and makes an inaccessible PDF table. The error was mis-programmed into PDF Maker about 2-3 years ago and has gotten worse with the latest release from Adobe in Fall 2021.
     
    Instead, use Microsoft's PDF export utility built into Word (see directions below). It tags tables correctly and you'll pass the accessibility checkers. (And it's FREE!)

 

Here are the errors you're getting from your PDFs made with Adobe's PDF Maker plug-in:

 

These errors make the PDF inaccessible and non-compliant with the PDF/UA-1 specification, which Adobe's engineers write and chair.

 

Use this method to export a more compliant PDF from MS Office:
 

  1. Ditch Adobe PDF Maker entirely.
     
  2. File / Save As (NOT Save As Adobe PDF...that invokes PDF Maker again, GAH, no no no !!!).
     
  3. Select PDF from the Type drop-down menu. And Select More options just below it.
     
     
  4. In Options, set these parameters:

— Optimize for Standard

— Select Options button

— Create bookmarks using Headings

— Check: Document Properties

— Check: Document structure tags for acessbility

— Check: Optimize for image quality

— UNcheck: Bitmap text when fonts may not be embedded (bitmapped fonts are a violation of accessibility standards)
Click OK/Save.

 

I've attached 2 PDFs and their matching Word.docx files: One set uses Adobe's PDF Maker as of today's versions of software, the other uses Microsoft's built-in PDF export utility.

 

Hope this helps save your deadlines!

 

—Bevi Chagnon

IAAP ADS, and member of the ISO committees for PDF and PDF/UA standards (along with Adobe's engineers)

 


One more note,

Check to ensure you've updated both your Acrobat and MS Office software. Both companies have released updates and bug fixes since mid-September, and the new versions correct some of the massive accessibility problems from both companies.

 

Acrobat's releases are listed here: https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/index.html

Microsoft's are listed here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/current-channel

 

3 replies

Mike Craghead
Mike Craghead
Participating Frequently
February 3, 2022

I can't tell for sure from your screen shots, but if you expand your <TR> and see a <P> tag  full of PathPathPath, then the workaround below should help. 

 

Here is a super dumb way past this bug:

In Word, do NOT use File >Save As PDF. Instead,

Go to File > Save As > [choose PDF from the file type droplist] > press Save.

No more PathPathPath!

It's objectively silly that File > Save As PDF should give you different results than choosing the file type manually. It doesn't create an accessibility nightmare like printing to PDF does, but those PathPathPath errors can really add up! 

 

    Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
    Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
    Legend
    September 27, 2021

    @Ulrika_G, Hi.

    quote

    When making Word templates, I use the table design tools and make tables with header rows etc. passing the accessibility check in Word...

    On the upper table, I added a visible header but find no way to connect it to the table... 

    By @Ulrika_G

     

    In a Word table, the Table Headers are usually the first row of the table. They are a part of the table, not something that is added or connected to the table. So when you say "I added a visible header" and can't "find a way to connect it," I'm wondering if the tables are correctly constructed, regardless of what Word's accessibility checker says (it often misses accessibility items).

     

    Generally, if a table is correctly made in Word, it automatically outputs correctly with the headers to the PDF and you do not get errors in Acrobat's accessibility checker.

     

    Here's how to check in Word:

    1. Select the table.
    2. In the top Table Design tab, make sure that Header Row is checked. You can also check the First Column is you want Row Headers on the table.
       
       There's nothing to connect to the table because the first row of the table is now designated as the header row.
       

    Can you verify if this is how you made your table in Word?

     

    Thanks,

    —Bevi

     

    |&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bevi Chagnon &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;Designer, Trainer, &amp; Technologist for Accessible Documents ||&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PubCom |&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Classes &amp; Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs &amp; MS Office |
    Ulrika_G
    Ulrika_GAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 27, 2021

    Hi @Bevi,

    Thanks for your answer. Yes, the table is correctly made in Word.

     

    The reason I made an extra header was just to test - as the accessibility marked something lacking. I couldn't understand why two checkpoints in the accessibility check focused on the same table header and only one of them passed. But @Amal. s answer above did give me the answer there actually is an issue with that second checkpoint, which they are investigating. 
    Many thanks for your input!

    Best regards,

    Ulrika

    Amal.
    Community Manager
    Amal.Community Manager
    Community Manager
    September 30, 2021

    Hi Ulrika

     

    Sorry to keep you waiting.

     

    Please chek out the solution and the workaroind shared in the help page https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/table-header-fails-in-accessibility-checker.html and see if that works for you.

     

    Regards

    Amal

    Amal.
    Community Manager
    Amal.Community Manager
    Community Manager
    September 27, 2021

    Hi Ulrika

     

    Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described the table header is failing in the accessibility check of the document.

     

    Are you using the Adobe Acrobat DC version 21.07.20091 and experiencing this issue? If yes, the issue is already reported to our engineering team and they are working on it to find the fix.

     

    We will share the update as soon as we will hear any thing from them.

     

    Thanks for your time and patience on this.

     

    Regards

    Amal

    Ulrika_G
    Ulrika_GAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 27, 2021

    Hi Amal,

    Yes - that's the version I use!

     

    Do I understand you right, that Table Header referred to are the actual headers in the table? (Those tagged TH)

    So, one of the checkpoints (TH and TD in the report) checks whether TH and TD are children of TR.

    And the checkpoint Table Header checks that the headers do have a content? Row and/or column headers, depending on the structure of the table? 

     

    Thank you so much for helping me out!

    Best regards,
    Ulrika

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