Name must be different than description

Rule ID Table 8
Definition The accessible name of a data table % be different from its accessible description.
Purpose
  • Accessible name and description are designed to provide two different types of information to users of assistive technologies and therefore should not duplicate each other.
  • Accessible name is designed to provide a short title to identify the data table, so when users of assistive technology are using table navigation commands they can identify the table.
  • Accessible description is designed to provide a longer summary of the table, this could include author intended conclusions of the data.
Required Yes for HTML5 and ARIA Techniques ruleset mapping
WCAG Success Criteria

1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A, Primary Success Criterion)

Rule Category Tables
Scope Element
Target Resources Data tables with both an accessible name and accessible description
  • table[summary]
Techniques
  • Accessible name is typically defined using the caption element, but the summary, title, aria-label and aria-labelledby attribute can also be used.
  • Accessible description is typically defined using the summary attribute, but the title and aria-describedby attribute can also be used.
  • The accessible name is defined before the accessible description, so if using the summary and/or title attribute for the accessible name will require a different technique to add an accessible description.
Manual Checks
  • Verify the accessible name clearly identifies the table.
  • Verify the summary accurately summarizes the table.
Informational Links