RE: "Identify the image"

Hi John, and welcome back from Spain. 

> we were trying to make sure we'd accounted for instances where a single 
> text alternative would not be enough  to convey the same information as 
> the non-text content.

I think the simplicity of 1.1.1 is wonderful like this.
     1.1.1 For non-text content that is used to convey information, text
     alternatives convey the same information.
and see no reason why this doesn't cover the possibility of more complex
text alternatives, including an identification plus a long description. But
to even suggest that an "identification" is generally warranted is not a
good idea.

Jim
 
Accessibility Consulting: http://jimthatcher.com/
512-306-0931