RE: images / alt and image maps

Hi Rebecca,

You asked for opinons - OK! Redundant text links should be available for
server-side image maps; no reason for redundant links for client-side maps -
You must use alt text for each of the areas. 7.4.2 is preceeded with "until
user agents ...." and user agents are recognizing alt text on areas.  I
think it is wrong to also have text links when you have alt text on the
areas ... Opinion.

An example I used in the "web course"
(http://jimthatcher.com/webcourse2.htm) for me raises a very interesting
issue about image maps. The King County Washington site
(http://www.metrokc.gov/) uses a sever-side map for its primary navigation
and has equivalent text links at the bottom of the page. Section 508 would
not allow this because the regions (lik all regions) can be specified in a
client-side map. But using this server-side map with equivalent links at the
bottom of the page provides a skip navigation method. A dilemma!

Jim
http://jimthatcher.com
512-306-0931
  -----Original Message-----
  From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org]On
Behalf Of Rebecca Cox
  Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 4:54 PM
  To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
  Subject: images / alt and image maps


  HI all,

  I've got two questions to ask, so will send a couple of emails.

  Regarding image maps and "alt" text & "redundant text links"

  I've been having a look at the technique outlined at

  http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-HTML-TECHS/

  under "7.4.2 Redundant text links for client-side image maps"

  (where it has an example using object & A to code the imagemap and its
links)

  I tried this example code, and when you turn images off in the browser,
you get text links, which is great, and will fulfill the needs of those not
using images.

  I would think that "best practice" would be to still put actual text links
on the page somewhere as well, for anyone who surfs with images on, but
can't see well enough to see the image clearly.

  Opinions would be appreciated!

  Cheers

  Rebecca