Accessibility isn't optional—it's a legal requirement in many jurisdictions (ADA, WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508) and a moral imperative. Yet when comparing React data grids, accessibility is often the last thing developers consider. Most comparison articles focus on features, bundle size, and pricing, while ignoring the question: "Can everyone actually use this?"
This guide evaluates MIT-licensed React data grids through the lens of accessibility and keyboard navigation. We'll test real-world scenarios: Can blind users navigate with screen readers? Can keyboard-only users sort and filter? Are focus indicators visible? Do touch targets meet minimum size requirements?
Why This Matters
- • 15% of the global population has some form of disability
- • Legal compliance: ADA lawsuits cost companies an average of $20K-$50K to settle
- • SEO benefits: Accessible sites rank better in search results
- • Better UX for everyone: Keyboard navigation helps power users too
What Makes a Data Grid Accessible?
An accessible data grid must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Here's what that means in practice:
Keyboard Navigation
- Arrow keys: Navigate between cells
- Tab: Move through interactive elements
- Enter/Space: Activate buttons, sort columns
- Home/End: Jump to first/last cell
- Page Up/Down: Scroll through data
- Escape: Cancel edits, close modals
Screen Reader Support
- ARIA attributes: role="grid", aria-label, aria-sort
- Row/column counts: Announce "Row 5 of 100"
- Sort state: "Sorted ascending" announced
- Cell content: All data readable by screen readers
- Live regions: Dynamic updates announced
Visual & Focus Indicators
- Visible focus: Clear outline on focused cell (3:1 contrast)
- Color contrast: 4.5:1 for text, 3:1 for UI components
- Touch targets: Minimum 44×44px for interactive elements
- Hover states: Visual feedback on mouse hover
Mobile & Touch Support
- Touch-friendly: Large tap targets, swipe gestures
- Responsive: Adapts to small screens gracefully
- Zoom support: Works at 200% zoom without breaking
- Screen rotation: Maintains functionality in portrait/landscape
Accessibility Comparison: MIT-Licensed React Grids
We tested each library with VoiceOver (macOS), NVDA (Windows), keyboard-only navigation, and automated tools (axe DevTools, Lighthouse). Here's what we found:
| Feature | Simple Table | TanStack Table | MUI X Data Grid | React Data Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keyboard Navigation | ||||
| Arrow key cell navigation | ✓ Built-in | △ You build | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tab through interactive elements | ✓ Built-in | △ You build | ✓ | ✓ |
| Home/End navigation | ✓ Built-in | ✗ | △ Partial | ✓ |
| Enter/Space to activate | ✓ Built-in | △ You build | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screen Reader Support | ||||
| Semantic ARIA attributes | ✓ Complete | △ You add | ✓ | ✓ |
| Row/column announcements | ✓ Built-in | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sort state announcements | ✓ Built-in | ✗ | ✓ | △ |
| Live region updates | ✓ Built-in | ✗ | △ Partial | △ |
| Visual & Focus Indicators | ||||
| Visible focus outline | ✓ 3:1 contrast | △ You style | ✓ | ✓ |
| WCAG contrast ratios | ✓ AAA | △ Your styles | ✓ AA | ✓ AA |
| Touch targets (44×44px min) | ✓ 48×48px | △ You design | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile & Touch Support | ||||
| Touch-friendly design | ✓ Optimized | △ You build | ✓ | △ |
| Mobile responsive | ✓ Native | △ You build | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zoom support (200%) | ✓ Tested | △ Your CSS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Overall Accessibility Score | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
Legend:
- ✓ Fully supported out of the box
- △ Requires additional implementation
- ✗ Not supported / difficult to implement
TanStack Table: The Accessibility Trap
TanStack Table's "you build everything" philosophy sounds empowering, but it creates a serious accessibility problem: most developers won't build accessible UI from scratch. Read more in our headless vs batteries-included comparison.
What You Need to Implement Yourself:
- • ARIA attributes: role="grid", aria-rowcount, aria-colcount, aria-sort, aria-label on every element
- • Keyboard handlers: Arrow keys, Tab, Enter, Space, Home, End, Page Up/Down
- • Focus management: Track focused cell, handle focus trap, restore focus on interactions
- • Screen reader announcements: Live regions for sort changes, filter updates, row counts
- • Visual indicators: Focus outlines, hover states, high contrast support
- • Touch support: Large targets, swipe gestures, mobile optimization
Reality: Implementing proper accessibility for TanStack Table takes an experienced developer 2-4 weeks of focused work. Most teams skip it or half-implement it, creating legal risk and excluding users.
Legal Risk
If you ship a TanStack Table without proper accessibility, you're violating ADA, Section 508, and WCAG standards. This exposes your company to lawsuits. AG Grid gets sued regularly for accessibility issues—don't repeat their mistakes by building it wrong yourself.
Simple Table: Accessibility Built-In
Simple Table was designed with accessibility as a first-class feature, not an afterthought. Here's what you get automatically:
Complete Keyboard Navigation (Zero Config)
- • Arrow keys: Move between cells
- • Home/End: Jump to edges
- • Page Up/Down: Scroll pages
- • Ctrl+Home: First cell
- • Ctrl+End: Last cell
- • Enter: Sort column / Edit cell
- • Space: Select row / Toggle checkbox
- • Escape: Cancel edit / Close modal
- • Tab: Focus interactive elements
- • Shift+Tab: Reverse tab order
Screen Reader Excellence
Tested extensively with VoiceOver, NVDA, and JAWS. Here's what screen reader users hear:
Example announcement:
"Data table with 100 rows and 5 columns. Row 1 of 100. Name column, sorted ascending. John Smith. Age column, 28. Location column, New York."
Visual Design for All Users
- WCAG AAA contrast: 7:1 for text (exceeds 4.5:1 requirement)
- Visible focus: 3px blue outline with 3:1 contrast ratio
- Touch targets: 48×48px minimum (exceeds 44px requirement)
- High contrast mode: Works in Windows High Contrast and macOS Increase Contrast
Mobile-First Accessibility
- Touch-optimized: Large tap targets, swipe to scroll
- Responsive: Adapts to any screen size without horizontal scroll
- Zoom support: Works perfectly at 200% zoom
- VoiceOver/TalkBack: Full mobile screen reader support
Accessibility Testing: Simple Table Scores 100/100
Simple Table achieves perfect scores in automated accessibility testing:
The Verdict: Accessibility Should Be Default, Not Optional
When it comes to accessibility, the choice is clear: libraries that build it in from the start will always be more accessible than those that leave it to developers.
The Accessibility Problem with TanStack
TanStack Table is a fantastic library for logic, but accessibility requires expertise that most teams don't have. Unless you have a dedicated accessibility specialist, you'll ship an inaccessible table and create legal risk.
Why Simple Table Gets It Right
Simple Table makes accessibility automatic. You install it, and you're already compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA (and mostly AAA). No expertise required. No legal risk. No excluded users.
Bottom Line: Choose Accessible by Default
If you care about accessibility (and you should—legally and morally), choose a library that builds it in. Simple Table, MUI X Data Grid, and React Data Grid all provide good baseline accessibility. TanStack requires you to build it yourself, which few teams do well.
For most teams: Simple Table offers the best combination of accessibility, performance, and ease of use. It's accessible by default, MIT licensed, and requires zero accessibility expertise to use correctly.