The <table> element is not a taboo in accessible web pages. However, it should not be abused.
There are two main uses of tables in an HTML document. First, it is used to represent tabulated data. For example, a weekly schedule may use days as columns and time (hours) as rows. Second, it is used to control the layout of a document.
The trouble with tables has to do with how it is read by a screen reader. Most screen readers read a table row-by-row. As a result, if there are many columns, it is easy for a person to lose track of which cell is being read in a table. The problem is compounded when cells are merged, mostly for document layout control.
We will use another module to address the issues of tables, as it is a slightly more complex issue.