For each data table that has a title, is it relevant?
A screen reader user can navigate from table to table using the 'T' key in NVDA or JAWS. On each arrival, the reader announces the table title first. If that title says 'Table 1' or 'Data', the user doesn't know what they'll find.
This criterion does not check if the title exists, or if it is technically associated with the table (that is the subject of criterion 5.4). It only checks whether the title is relevant.
A relevant title allows the user to decide, before even exploring the table, whether it contains what they're looking for. It's the same logic as a section title or link text: read out of context, it must be enough to understand the subject.
If a table has no title, this criterion is not applicable (NA). The absence of a title falls under criterion 5.4.
Un test to assess the relevance of the table title
Relevance of data table title
- Identify all data tables that have a title (
<caption>or title associated viaaria-labelledby). - For each title, read it without looking at the table: can you predict the table's content?
- A generic title like 'Table 1', 'Results' or 'Data' is not relevant.
- If all titles are relevant, the test is validated.
Examples
❌ Non-compliant : Generic title without informative value
<table>
<caption>Table of results</caption>
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Candidate</th>
<th scope="col">Votes</th>
<th scope="col">Percentage</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Martin Dupont</td>
<td>4 218</td>
<td>38 %</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>'Table of results' says nothing about the subject. Results of what? From when? For which election? A screen reader user navigating by table cannot know whether they should explore this table or move on to the next one.
✅ Compliant : Descriptive title precisely identifying the content
<table>
<caption>Results of the first round of the 2024 municipal elections, municipality of Lyon</caption>
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Candidate</th>
<th scope="col">Votes</th>
<th scope="col">Percentage</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Martin Dupont</td>
<td>4 218</td>
<td>38 %</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>The title identifies the event (municipal elections), the round (first), the year, and the municipality. The user immediately understands what they will find. They can decide in a second whether this table interests them.
Tips and pitfalls
⚠️ Numbered titles: 'Table 1', 'Table 2'
This is the most common error in audits. Teams copy the visual caption from the document ('Fig. 3, Table of sales') as is into the <caption>. The number is not problematic in itself, but it does not replace the description. 'Table 3: Sales by region, Q2 2024' is relevant. 'Table 3' alone is not.
⚠️ Criterion 5.5 vs criterion 5.4: two separate reviews
Criterion 5.4 checks whether the title is technically associated with the table (<caption> or aria-labelledby). Criterion 5.5 checks whether the content of that title makes sense. A table can pass 5.4 and fail 5.5 if its title is meaningless. The two criteria are independent.
⚠️ No title: not applicable, not non-compliant
If a data table has no title, criterion 5.5 is not applicable (NA), not 'non-compliant'. The absence of a title does not fall under 5.5. However, providing a title remains good practice: without it, NVDA typically announces the first header cell, which is rarely sufficient to guide the user.
💡 The out-of-context test for quick auditing
Read only the title, without looking at the table. Can you say what it's about? If the answer is 'no' or 'maybe', the title is not descriptive enough. This is exactly what a screen reader user experiences when navigating by keyboard shortcut between tables on the page.
Frequently asked questions
How to determine if the title of a RGAA table is relevant?
A title is relevant if it allows you to identify the table's content without exploring it. Ask yourself: if I read only this title, do I know what this table is about? 'Monthly subscription rates by plan' is relevant. 'Rates' alone is not if the page contains multiple different rate tables.
When does RGAA criterion 5.5 apply to a table without <caption>?
No. Without an associated title, criterion 5.5 is not applicable (NA). There cannot be an irrelevant title if no title exists. Criterion 5.4 will also be NA in this case, as there is nothing to associate.
How to audit RGAA criterion 5.5 on table titles in practice?
Two methods. With the browser inspector: find all <caption> elements on the page and read their content. With a screen reader: navigate from table to table using the T key (NVDA or JAWS) and check what is announced. A title too vague like 'List' or 'Table' is non-compliant.
How is a table title hidden with sr-only evaluated according to RGAA?
Yes. A <caption> hidden with an sr-only class remains a title in the RGAA sense. Criterion 5.5 applies: its content must be relevant, even if it is only visible to screen readers. This technique is actually valid for providing an accessible title without modifying the visual design.