RE: ARIA roles for graphics

From: Fred Esch [mailto:fesch@us.ibm.com] 
Sent: 26 May 2015 21:03

I think an icon role should be used on the svg element and would indicate that the entire SVG is an graphic that represents something. I would go further and say an appearance of an icon is unimportant, only that it is recognized as the thing it represents. International signs (road signs, bathroom signs) and symbols for common tasks (undo, help, next) are examples of appropriate use.

If you want to apply an icon role to parts of an SVG then I think symbol would be a better term. The term symbol is already used in maps and legends and the analogy works. Symbols represent things and their properties (size, location, orientation) may be important. 




These roles seem quite distinct from one another. Using them interchangeably, depending on the location of the object in question, is likely to get confusing.

 

Léonie.