RE: Request for review of alt and alt value for authoring or publishing tools

Ian Hickson wrote:

> The only actual solution suggestion I see there is alt="1", alt="2",
> etc, 
> but it is unclear how that would improve accessibility. 

Any information is better than no information.  It puts the images in a
rudimentary context (this is image 4 of 9 on the page).  A non-visual user
still may have no idea what the image really is, but can be told that image
number 4 at the "photo-upload site" is of their grandchild, and they could
then copy the file to a flash drive, and have the photo printed and framed
for when visitors come over to visit (just to make the scenario "real").

> 
> Note that in many of these cases, putting the caption or other
> metadata in 
> the alt="" attribute would be harmful as it would merely duplicate
> information already available elsewhere on the page. (I mention this
> merely because WCAG does currently suggest giving such text in some
> cases, 
> but this doesn't help when such text is already available outside of
> the <img> element.)


<p class="Photo">
  <span class="photo_container pc_m"><a
href="/photos/18356286@N00/855450676/" title=""><img src="[path]"
class="pc_img" height="180" width="240"></a></span></p>

<div class="Desc">
  <div title="Click to edit" id="description_div855450676" style="width:
240px;">I snapped this photo the other day while walking around the
Googleplex and saw Ian Hickson working at his desk.</div>

(slightly modified from an actual Flickr page)

...is the image the Googleplex, or you working at your desk?


JF

Received on Tuesday, 15 April 2008 18:49:05 UTC