Re: HTML Action Item 54 - ...draft text for HTML 5 spec to require producers/authors to include @alt on img elements.

Hi Andrew,

On 13/05/2008, Andrew Sidwell <w3c@andrewsidwell.co.uk> wrote:
> > > I would be happy if someone (or several someones) in favour of making
> alt mandatory in all cases would answer very simply: How does a blind
> photographer mark up a photo, which is known to be critical content, but
> which she herself cannot describe?

A blind person would specify the alt text they felt was appropriate
for the image in accordance with WCAG guidelines.

>  I would suggest that
>   <!DOCTYPE html>
>   <title>
>
>   <header>
>     <h1>Photo Gallery</h1>
>     <h2>Photo taken on 13th May 2008</h3>
>   </header>
>
>   <img src="photo">
>   <p><a href="prev">Previous photo</a>, <a href="next">Next photo</a>
>
>  would not be a bad way of answering the question.

Personally, I think it's a terrible way of answering the question. It
shows a total indifference to accessibility borne out of assumptions
you've made about how a blind person uses a computer.

>  How would you propose to do it differently?

In accordance with WCAG. See how T.V. Raman marks up the three images
on one of his web pages [1]. There will also be plenty of poor
examples marked up by people who are blind, just as there are by
sighted people, but being blind doesn't make someone incapable of
providing alt text in accordance with WCAG.

[1] http://emacspeak.sourceforge.net/raman/


Gez

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Received on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 17:52:39 UTC