- From: Charles (Chuck) Oppermann <chuckop@MICROSOFT.com>
- Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 01:49:38 -0800
- To: Chris Ridpath <chris.ridpath@utoronto.ca>, w3c-wai-au@w3.org
<< HTML tools should NOT generate 'placeholder' ALT text but should leave the Alt text blank (ALT="") or not generate the Alt attribute. Placeholder text could be generated by the tool to let the user know that some text should be added. Examples of this include "Alt text here" or "Place Alt text here". If placeholder text is generated then accessibility checking tools will only see that there is Alt text and assume the element is accessible. This should be a priority 1 item. >> Authoring Tools should never set the ALT text to null (ALT=""). That generally means that the image has no meaning and since there is a ALT attribute, verses the lack of one, you can be sure the author is telling you that the image has no meaning. Place holder text is interesting. Throughout Microsoft development tools are source code comments like: /* TODO: Add code to make this work */ Would the "Place ALT text here", or better yet "Put image description here" be reasonable to folks? << HTML tools should generate default Alt text with caution. If default text is generated then the user must be offered the option of changing the text. Priority 2? >> The only time an authoring tool should generate the ALT text itself is when it's absolutely certain of the meaning. For example, graphical bullets might have pre-fab ALT text. Same with graphical horizontal rules and table borders. Charles Oppermann Program Manager, Accessibility and Disabilities Group, Microsoft Corporation mailto:chuckop@microsoft.com <mailto:chuckop@microsoft.com> http://microsoft.com/enable/ <http://microsoft.com/enable/> "A computer on every desk and in every home, usable by everyone!"
Received on Friday, 6 November 1998 04:49:42 UTC