I think there is a failure missing

Name: Sheena McCullagh
Email: sheena.mccullagh@blueyonder.co.uk
Affiliation: Individual
Document: W2
Item Number: Success Criterion 1.1.1
Part of Item: 
Comment Type: technical
Summary of Issue: I think there is a failure missing
Comment (Including rationale for any proposed change):
Failure F3 looks specifically at using CSS to include images that convey important information.  Part of the rational of this is 'Embedding information into a background image can also cause problems for people who use alternate backgrounds in order to increase legibility and for users of high contrast mode in some operating systems. These users, would lose the information in the background image due to lack of any alternative text.'

I totally agree with this rational, however very recently there has been a trend to either code images as background in the HTML or create them as backgrounds using scripting.  It doesn't matter what method is used, the effect is still the same, when those of us who need to over-ride specified colours do so we lose the image and when those images have functionality, eg buttons on plug-in editors (I've been in contact with the AGAT 2 people), we really are stuffed.

Personally I time this trend with the advent of IE8, in that it no longer displays the alt attribute text as a tool tip.  To get over this web designers seem to have taken to coding the images as backgrounds to be able to use the title attribute instead.  Fine if you're using a mouse and not over-riding specified colours, but a nightmare for those of us with colour access needs.  When the images are multiple and set close together, as with the editor buttons, it becomes impossible to work.

Proposed Change:
Either expand F3 to include all methods of coding images in such a way that they disappear when in over-ride or create a new failure to cover these additional issues.

Received on Thursday, 9 December 2010 23:30:57 UTC