Re: Examples of when people need text alternatives for images

Hi Shawn,

I think this is pretty good, but reading the various other responses 
from EO made me think of another case related to cognition. People who 
can read but have difficulty processing/understanding maps, diagrams, 
charts, graphs, etc, need a text alternative to understand the 
information presented in the image (not an 'alt' attribute, but a true 
alternative description).

Cheers, Andrew

Shawn Henry wrote:
> Dear EOWG,
> 
> I've just typed up our comments from a recent teleconference 
> discussion[1] of "HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text 
> alternatives, Working Draft 24 June 2010"[2]. I looked at one point more 
> carefully and have ideas *for your review and comment*.
> 
> Currently under "Examples of scenarios where users benefit from text 
> alternatives for images" at 
> http://www.w3.org/TR/2010/WD-html-alt-techniques-20100624/#example-benefits 
> is listed:
> - They have a very slow connection. - They have a vision impairment and 
> use text to speech software. - They have a cognitive impairment and use 
> text to speech software. - They are using a text-only browser. - They 
> are listening to the page being read out by a voice Web browser.
> 
> We had already commented that this needs more explanation for people who 
> are not aware, for example, of screen reader use. Below is an additional 
> draft suggestion for an edit of that list and its intro.
> 
> "
> Examples of when people need text alternatives for images:
> - Users who are blind or have a visual impairment and use a screen 
> reader that reads aloud the information from the web page (text to 
> speech software). [link to section in new How People with Disabilities 
> Use the Web once its done.]
> - Users who are blind and use a dynamic braille display to get 
> information from the web page. - Users who have a cognitive impairment 
> that makes is difficult or impossible to read, and use a screen reader.
> - Users who have a slow connection and turn off images to speed download.
> - Users who turn off images to decrease bandwidth use in order to lower 
> their Internet usage fees.
> - Users with a text-only browser. - Users listening to the page being 
> read out by a voice browser, for example, as they drive or otherwise 
> cannot read the web page.
> 
> There are many benefits for web site developers and owners to include 
> text alternatives for images as well; for example, it improves search 
> engine optimization (SEO) because the text alternatives are available to 
> search engines, whereas images themselves basically are not.
> 
> [could link <a href="http://www.w3.org/WAI/bcase/fin.html#seo">improves 
> search engine optimization (SEO)</a>]
> "
> 
> Please reply with comments on the above draft idea.
> 
> Thanks,
> ~Shawn
> 
> 
> 
> [1] Minutes from the EOWG teleconference are at 
> http://www.w3.org/2010/07/02-eo-minutes#item01
> Please keep in mind that these are rough minutes and may not reflect 
> what was actually said.
> 
> [2] http://www.w3.org/TR/2010/WD-html-alt-techniques-20100624/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----
> Shawn Lawton Henry
> W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
> e-mail: shawn@w3.org
> phone: +1.617.395.7664
> about: http://www.w3.org/People/Shawn/
> 
> 
> 
>

Received on Friday, 23 July 2010 11:45:42 UTC