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In June 2021 GSS published new guidance about accessible spreadsheets. This is a brief summary of key points:
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Spreadsheets are solely for data. A spreadsheet must not contain large amounts of prose information. Prose information must be published as an a separate HTML web page or attachment.
Title page
The title of every worksheet must be positioned in cell A1 and this includes the title of the spreadsheet itself. Style the title in heading 1, with heading 2 for any subsidiary title, then normal font for the rest of the text.
Font Arial 12 point.
Avoid colour or formatting.
Full accessibility Ideally, avoids logos logo or images. If a PHE logo is required:
- place it in cell A1 which you expand to contain it
- make sure it has alt text, namely:
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- 'Public Health England logo'
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Worksheets
Each worksheet or tab must have a unique and meaningful title.
In cell A1 of every worksheet, write the title of the page and make it heading 1. On (To do this on the Home tab go to Cell Styles and select Heading 1. The GSS guidance explains how to modify heading 1 away from Microsoft's default blue underlined to black and not underlined.)
Remove empty rows or columns so that all text and all tables are left justified ie start in column A.
If you want to create space between rows use the cursor to drag rows wider and the alignment buttons to position the text.
In cell A2 write an explanation of what is on the worksheet, for example: 'This worksheet contains one table and one graph.'
Marking up tables
All tables should be marked up as tables.
(To do this highlight all the cells in the table. On the Home tab go to Format as Table, select the top left option, a dialog box opens, tick the 'My table has headers' box and OK. the grid of cells is now properly marked up as a table. Usually it comes with filters, which are inaccessible. Go to the Data tab and untick the Filter button in the centre of the ribbon. Click Table tools in the green band above the tab ribbon and select the left-hand option to remove all styling from your table.)
Ideally, give each table a unique and meaningful title of its own. This makes it available in Excel'
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s list of tables, which some disabled users use to navigate spreadsheets . (Click control plus G to see this list.)
Wrap text within cells so that all text is clearly spaced out and clearly visible.
Do not merge cells
Avoid merged cells, which are profoundly inaccessible.
Try and find workarounds, for example, 1. include descriptions in merged cells above headers, into each individual header row. 2. cut and paste overarching descriptions into a note above the table.
The aim is to have just one heading row and no merged cells.
Vital notes go above the table
Many tables require explanatory notes. As much as possible put these above the table. The rule is that, if information is vital for understanding a table, for example abbreviations, this should be explained above the table. Notes of secondary importance, for example, the status of some data, can be published positioned after the table.
If the source varies from sheet to sheet, this should be indicated above the table.
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Minimise footnotes, avoid asterisks
Many tables include indications of footnotes footnote indicators such as asterisks or other tablessymbols.
Best practice is to create a separate worksheet for notes and insert [note 1] instead of a symbol like an asterisk and then enter all footnote texts in a numbered list in the Notes tabin the worksheet or table, with a sentence above the table explaining that all notes are collected on the sheet titles Notes.
However, taking users away from the context of the note is not ideal. There are other methods:
- indicate important information which is found throughout the table (such as abbreviations) in plain text directly above the table, from row 3 onwards (row 1 being the title, row 2 being the content explanation beginning 'The worksheet contains...')
- if the information applies to a particular row or column, include it - if possible - in that row or column header
- if the note applies not to the entire table or entire rows or columns but only to some cells, it is best not to indicate this with asterisks (which some screen readers do not detect) or numbered notes, but with letters in square brackets, for example, 'Key results are indicated by a [K]
Marking up tables
All tables should be marked up as tables.
Highlight all the cells in the table, on the Home tab go to Format as Table, select the top left option, a dialog box opens, tick the 'My table has headers' box and OK. the grid of cells is now properly marked up as a table. Usually it comes with filters, which are inaccessible. Go to the Data tab and untick the Filter button in the centre of the ribbon. Click Table tools in the green band above the tab ribbon and select the left-hand option to remove all styling from your table.
Merged cells
Avoid merged cells which are profoundly inaccessible.
Try and find workarounds, for example, include overarching descriptions in each individual cell, or cut and paste overarching descriptions into a note above the table.
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- or notes for specific cells can be added in the row after the table ends ie in an additional cell to the right: 'If you need to mention notes for specific data points, you should add a notes column to the table, on the right. You should describe which cell or cells the note applies to, for example: ‘[note 1] This note applies to B10, C10 and D10’.
However notes are indicated, an explanation should be given in the description text in the second or third row, for example: ‘This worksheet contains one table. Some cells refer to notes which can be found on the notes worksheet/at the end of the relevant row’The aim is to have one heading row and no merged cells.
Colour
Avoid all colour, for any reason. Everything should be plain white.
The one exception is the use of red, amber and green, which is a universally accepted convention although, ideally, cells coloured this way would should also contain a text indication such as [R].
GDS style
GOV.UK style applies to all text. For example spelling , spell out abbreviations, do not using hyphens to indicate duration, avoid bold and italics.
Links must be embedded in meaningful text.
Metadata
Add metadata using the Properties dialogue box. (File > Info > properties > Advanced properties.)
Format
It is best practice to save and publish spreadsheets as Open Document Spreadsheet or ods format.