How to Handle Table Tags for PDF Accessibility Created from Word
Question details
Determine if table tags generated when converting Word forms to PDF cause accessibility issues for screen readers.
- Product
- PDF / Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Converting a Word form containing tables into a tagged PDF document.
- Observed behavior
- The resulting PDF automatically generates table tags, prompting concerns over whether to retain them or replace them with paragraph tags for better screen reader compatibility.
Before editing PDF tags, ensure you have finalized the text and layout in your original Word document to avoid having to redo the accessibility tagging process after future edits.
Review and Adjust Table Tags in the PDF Editor
Ensure that only genuine data and layout structures are tagged as tables, and remove or restructure unnecessary layout tags.
Table tags are entirely appropriate when the table represents actual data or a structured layout. However, if tables were used purely for visual spacing in Word, the resulting table tags can make navigation highly confusing for assistive technology.
Launch your advanced PDF editor, navigate to the View menu, and open the Tags pane to inspect the document's underlying structure.
Locate the <Table> tags. Check if the tagged content is a genuine data table or just used for visual formatting.
For genuine data tables, ensure that the header cells are correctly marked with <TH> tags to establish proper relationships for screen readers.
If a table is strictly for layout and adds no structural meaning, delete the <Table> tags and re-tag the text content as standard paragraphs (<P>) or mark empty cells as Background/Artifacts.
Test Accessibility with a Screen Reader
Verify the practical experience of navigating the document by running it through assistive technologies and compliance checkers.
Create and Manage PDF Forms with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a comprehensive suite for creating structured Word documents and seamlessly exporting them to high-quality PDF files. You can easily manage form layouts and maintain document structure for better accessibility.
- 1. Open your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your original form document.
- 2. Format Document Structure: Use built-in heading styles and proper table formatting tools in WPS Writer to ensure structural integrity.
- 3. Export to PDF: Go to the 'Menu', select 'Export to PDF', and ensure structural settings are enabled to create your finalized form.
- 4. Edit PDF Forms: Open the exported file in WPS PDF to adjust form fields, text, and document properties as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tagged PDF?
A tagged PDF contains hidden structural metadata that defines the reading order and identifies document elements like paragraphs, headings, tables, and images. This is essential for assistive technologies like screen readers to interpret the document correctly.
Are layout tables bad for PDF accessibility?
Yes, if they are tagged as data tables. Layout tables used purely for visual alignment can confuse screen readers by forcing them to announce empty cells or rows. The content inside them should ideally be tagged as standard text, while the table structure itself should be marked as an artifact.
How do I fix the reading order in a PDF?
You can adjust the reading order by opening the Order pane or Tags tree in an advanced PDF editor and dragging the structural elements into the correct logical sequence.
Can I make a PDF accessible without advanced PDF editors?
While complex tagging requires specialized PDF editors, you can create highly accessible documents from the start by using proper heading styles, list formatting, and true table headers in word processors like WPS Writer before exporting them to PDF.
