Re: Guideline 1 in The evaluation techniques document

Daniel brings up the case where an adjacent image and text point to the
same place.

I agree it's redundant to have both links.  However, even if you replace
the ALT text with "", there's still a problem.  The user will hear that
there's a link there.  For example, in Lynx with numbers on there will be a
number.   So they'll know it's a link, but hear that there's no ALT text.  

First of all, this adds a bit of  clutter.  Second of all, it will I think
decrease user's confidence that it's accessible, hearing a link with no ALT
text.

In general, I think the better solution is to include the image and text
within a single <A> </A> pair.

The white house page has a complication, however, since the image and text
are in separate table cells, and this would require the link to start
before a cell and end in the middle of the cell, which is illegal.

A way around this is to put the image and text in the same cell with the
image floated left.  An example using the  align=left attribute is shown at

http://astro.temple.edu/~kasday/web_access/examples/whitehouse2.html

Of course, align=left is deprecated, but since the whole thing uses a table
which is deprecated in favor of style sheets, that doesn't really matter.

The best solution would use style all the way, except that not all browsers
support style... but thats another story.  Please start a new thread if you
want to discuss style sheets).

Len


At 05:08 PM 6/23/99 +0200, Daniel Dardailler wrote:
>
>> The rule that you are trying to enforce is:
>> > Provide text equivalents for all images, including invisible or 
>> transparent images.
>
>The rule we should try to enforce is checkpoint 1.1, not something in
>the technique document, which is not a stable reference.
>
>  Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element
>
>> ALT="" should NOT be allowed when the image is the only item in a link. 
>>  For example:
>> <a href="foo.html><img src=foo.gif alt=""></a>
>
>I disagree, you might have no need for ALT text other than "" even for 
>an isolated image link.
>
>For instance, on www.whitehous.gov: (that's not what you actually get
>there, there's currently no ALT at all, but you would get something
>like that under lynx, with ALT and [] used to show link)
>
>   [Head shot of the President & Vice President]
>   [The President & Vice President]:
>   Their accomplishments, their families, and how to send them
>   electronic mail 
>
>   [Drawing of the America Eagle] 
>   [Interactive Citizens' Handbook]: Your guide to information about
>   the Federal government
>
>   [Stone statue of George Washington] 
>   [White House History and Tours]:
>   Past Presidents and First Families, Art in the President's House
>   and Tours -- Tour Information 
>
>   [Drawing of a book opened] 
>   [The Virtual Library]:
>   Search our site, including an extensive archive of White House
>   documents 
>
>which is a little redundant, not to say annoying
>
>with ALT="", you get just the right information:
>
>   [The President & Vice President]:
>   Their accomplishments, their families, and how to send them
>   electronic mail 
>
>   [Interactive Citizens' Handbook]: Your guide to information about
>   the Federal government
>
>   [White House History and Tours]:
>   Past Presidents and First Families, Art in the President's House
>   and Tours -- Tour Information 
>
>   [The Virtual Library]:
>   Search our site, including an extensive archive of White House
>   documents 
>
>In a sense, the wording: 
>
> Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element
>
>fits my example, since in that case, the equivalent is "".
>since the description/function is already inline, next to the image,
>but not in the same A
>
>
>
-------
Leonard R. Kasday, Ph.D.
Universal Design Engineer, Institute on Disabilities/UAP, and
Adjunct Professor, Electrical Engineering
Temple University

Ritter Hall Annex, Room 423, Philadelphia, PA 19122
kasday@acm.org        
(215} 204-2247 (voice)
(800) 750-7428 (TTY)

Received on Wednesday, 23 June 1999 12:54:31 UTC