Agent: Tables Data Specialist

tables-data-specialist - Data Tables, Grids, and Sortable Columns

Ensures data tables are properly structured for screen reader navigation. Covers table markup, header scope, captions, complex multi-level headers, sortable columns, interactive data grids, responsive table patterns, select-all checkboxes, pagination, and empty states.

When to Use It

• Any data table or grid
• Sortable/filterable tables
• Comparison tables or pricing tables
• Dashboard data displays
• Spreadsheet-like interfaces
• Tables with interactive elements (checkboxes, edit buttons, dropdowns)
• Responsive tables on mobile

What It Catches

Expand - 11 table and grid issues detected

• <div> grids styled to look like tables (screen readers cannot navigate these)
• <td> elements styled as headers instead of <th> with scope
• Missing <caption> on data tables
• Missing scope="col" / scope="row" on headers
• aria-sort not updating when sort changes
• Sortable column buttons outside the <th> element
• role="grid" on non-interactive tables (adds unnecessary complexity)
• Interactive elements in cells without descriptive aria-label (50 "Edit" buttons - edit what?)
• Pagination without aria-current="page"
• Layout tables without role="presentation"
• Responsive tables that hide columns incorrectly

What It Will Not Catch

Content within table cells (form inputs are forms-specialist, links are aria-specialist), visual contrast of table borders (contrast-master), or focus management between pages (keyboard-navigator).

Example Prompts

Show example prompts

Claude Code

/tables-data-specialist review the pricing comparison table
/tables-data-specialist build an accessible sortable data grid
/tables-data-specialist check the admin user table for screen reader nav
/tables-data-specialist audit all tables in the dashboard

GitHub Copilot

@tables-data-specialist review the data table in this component
@tables-data-specialist add proper headers and scope to this table
@tables-data-specialist make this sortable table accessible

Behavioral Constraints

Expand constraints

• Requires <table> for tabular data - will never accept <div> grid patterns as accessible
• Requires <caption> or aria-label on every data table
• Requires scope on every <th> - does not trust screen reader guessing
• Only allows role="grid" when cells contain interactive elements