- From: John M Slatin <john_slatin@austin.utexas.edu>
- Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 09:26:17 -0600
- To: "Gregg Vanderheiden" <gv@trace.wisc.edu>, <public-wcag-teama@w3.org>
For what it's worth, I just visited the Access Board site using JAWS 7.0
and Firefox 1.5. JAWS is identifying graphics in the usual way and
speaking text alternatives.
A quick look at the source code indicates that (at least in the example
below) images seem A quick look at the source code indicates that the
<img> elements do have alt attributes; the one below is wrapped inside
an <a> element whose title attribute is identical to the alt attribute
on the image.
I don't know for sure whether Firefox is reading the alt on the image or
the title on the anchor. When I bring up the default configuration file
for JAWS (default.jcf), under HTML Options>> Graphics the default
setting is that JAWS will report tagged graphics only and that it will
use the alt attribute. In the Links tab I told it to speak only "tagged"
graphical links, then went back to the Access Board site. I refreshed
the page and read it again with JAWS. JAWS spoke the graphical links
this time too.
John
<td width="70" style="padding-left:24px;"><a href="about.htm" title="The
Board"><img src="images/nav_board_off.gif" alt="The Board" border="0"
width
="70" height="21"></a></td
"Good design is accessible design."
John Slatin, Ph.D.
Director, Accessibility Institute
University of Texas at Austin
FAC 248C
1 University Station G9600
Austin, TX 78712
ph 512-495-4288, f 512-495-4524
email jslatin@mail.utexas.edu
web http://www.utexas.edu/research/accessibility/
-----Original Message-----
From: public-wcag-teama-request@w3.org
[mailto:public-wcag-teama-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Gregg
Vanderheiden
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 11:28 pm
To: public-wcag-teama@w3.org
Subject: FW: [SEC508] RE: SEC508 digest, Vol 1 #323 - 2 msgs
Just FYI
We need to be clear on what is acceptable and when.
Gregg
-- ------------------------------
Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Professor - Ind. Engr. & BioMed Engr.
Director - Trace R & D Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison
-----Original Message-----
From: sec508-admin@trace.wisc.edu [mailto:sec508-admin@trace.wisc.edu]
On Behalf Of mike paciello
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 12:13 PM
To: sec508@trace.wisc.edu
Subject: [SEC508] RE: SEC508 digest, Vol 1 #323 - 2 msgs
Section 508 rarely, if ever, recommends a specific, technological
solution.
This is true even when it comes to alternative text. The 508 requirement
says, "(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be
provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content)." Title
attributes on an image could be viewed as a text equivalent,
particularly as it relates to "element content".
- Mike
Mike Paciello
TPG
+1 603.882.4122 ext 103
-----Original Message-----
From: sec508-admin@trace.wisc.edu [mailto:sec508-admin@trace.wisc.edu]
On Behalf Of sec508-request@trace.wisc.edu
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 1:00 PM
To: sec508@trace.wisc.edu
Subject: SEC508 digest, Vol 1 #323 - 2 msgs
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: alt attributes using Firefox on two sites (Laura Harley)
2. Re: alt attributes using Firefox on two sites (William R Williams)
--__--__--
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 15:16:09 -0500
Subject: Re: [SEC508] alt attributes using Firefox on two sites
From: Laura Harley <lharley@designinteractive.com>
To: "Barrett, Don" <Don.Barrett@ed.gov>, Untitled 3
<sec508@trace.wisc.edu>
Don Barret--
I just checked the Access Board' site. The images are coded with the
<title> tag, which only IE uses and understands. Firefox and all
Moziall-based browsers don't understand the <title> tag.
The <title> tag looks and works just like the <ALT> tag, except that you
can put a <title> tag on any HTML element, not just images. So
technically the Access Board's site is not 508 compliant, in that no alt
tags have been specified for the images.
My 2 cents.
Laura
Laura Harley
Principal and Sr. Web Architect
Design Interactive LLC
Alexandria, VA 22302
Visit our Website: http://www.designinteractive.com
On 12/19/05 12:04 PM, "Barrett, Don" <Don.Barrett@ed.gov> wrote:
> I have had an interesting inquiry from someone who is using Firefox
> and they say that the alt tags aren't showing up for the site
> www.access-board.gov, yet when the individual goes to the site
> http://www.w3.org/WAI/ the alt attributes show up. I have no idea if
> they are using AT or not. Does anyone know if FF responds differently
than IE to alt attributes?
>
>
> Don Barrett
> Section 508 Coordinator
> U.S. Department of Education
> (202)-205-8245
> don.barrett@ed.gov
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SEC508 mailing list
> SEC508@trace.wisc.edu
> http://trace.wisc.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/sec508
>
---------------------------------------
--__--__--
Message: 2
Subject: Re: [SEC508] alt attributes using Firefox on two sites
To: "Sec508 \(E-mail\)" <sec508@trace.wisc.edu>
From: William R Williams <wrwilliams@fs.fed.us>
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 13:38:56 -0800
Okay, I stand corrected in that the Access Board website does make use
of the title attribute and I apologize for my oversight in suggesting it
does not. Still, there are some things that need to be pointed out:
The Access Board site does use the alt attribute for the image
element
and uses title for the anchor element as well. So does the W3C site.
Firefox, in keeping with W3C recommendations, does not display the
alt
attribute as a tooltip because the developers believe it encourages
misuse of this attribute.
See: http://www.mozilla.org/docs/web-developer/faq.html#alttooltip
I believe the Access Board site is 508 compliant, and it almost goes
without saying that it must be given board's role in developing the 508
provisions, although I do have some concern about the manner in which
the alt and title attributes are being used on that site. More
specifically, the values for each are identical as it involves the
navbar images & links
-- which may or may not be a redundacy problem for users of AT devices.
Personally, I might find it irritating. However, this practice does not
really keep with W3C recommendations. If you follow the 'specs,' the alt
and title attributes have separate functions and are not
interchangeable:
http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-html401-19991224/struct/global.html#adef-t
itle
7.4.3 The title attribute
Attribute definitions
title = text [CS]
This attribute offers advisory information about the element for which
it is set.
http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-html401-19991224/struct/objects.html#adef-
alt
13.8 How to specify alternate text
Attribute definitions
alt = text [CS]
For user agents that cannot display images, forms, or applets, this
attribute specifies alternate text. The language of the alternate text
is specified by the lang attribute.
While alt is used as alternative text for essential content if an image,
etc. cannot be displayed, title can be used provide additional
information that is not essential. The title attribute is probably used
more properly on the Access Board site to present the list of images for
DisabilityInfo.
gov and Firstgov.gov as "Governement links." Here's another source that
has useful information about the use of these 2 attributes:
http://www.456bereastreet.com/archive/200412/the_alt_and_title_attribute
s/
========================
Bill Williams
Communications Specialist
USDA Forest Service, Region 5
707.562.9005
wrwilliams@fs.fed.us
========================
Laura Harley
<lharley@designin
teractive.com>
To
Sent by: "Barrett, Don"
sec508-admin@trac <Don.Barrett@ed.gov>, Untitled 3
e.wisc.edu <sec508@trace.wisc.edu>
cc
12/19/2005 12:16
Subject
PM Re: [SEC508] alt attributes using
Firefox on two sites
Don Barret--
I just checked the Access Board' site. The images are coded with the
<title> tag, which only IE uses and understands. Firefox and all
Moziall-based browsers don't understand the <title> tag.
The <title> tag looks and works just like the <ALT> tag, except that you
can put a <title> tag on any HTML element, not just images. So
technically the Access Board's site is not 508 compliant, in that no alt
tags have been specified for the images.
My 2 cents.
Laura
Laura Harley
Principal and Sr. Web Architect
Design Interactive LLC
Alexandria, VA 22302
Visit our Website: http://www.designinteractive.com
On 12/19/05 12:04 PM, "Barrett, Don" <Don.Barrett@ed.gov> wrote:
> I have had an interesting inquiry from someone who is using Firefox
> and
they
> say that the alt tags aren't showing up for the site
www.access-board.gov, yet
> when the individual goes to the site http://www.w3.org/WAI/ the alt
> attributes show up. I have no idea if they are using AT or not.
Does
> anyone know if FF responds differently than IE to alt attributes?
>
>
> Don Barrett
> Section 508 Coordinator
> U.S. Department of Education
> (202)-205-8245
> don.barrett@ed.gov
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SEC508 mailing list
> SEC508@trace.wisc.edu
> http://trace.wisc.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/sec508
>
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Received on Friday, 13 January 2006 15:26:33 UTC