- From: Anne Pemberton <apembert@erols.com>
- Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 06:55:51 -0400
- To: "gregory j. rosmaita" <oedipus@hicom.net>, <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
Greg, Indeed, I am still working on the g3 page, and uploaded another "version" last night. I think you'll find there are more alt tags with this version, plus a variety of other changes. Since I don't know which version you first looked at, I am unsure where you had problems. The mock-up is intented to study the graphics I'm using and determine the adequacy of the graphics for the purpose. There are two styles of "illustrations" on the page - ones that are just graphics (they are now small graphics on the page that can be clicked on to see the full size), and those that are made from a table and should be very readable and usable by anyone. I'm thinking the small versions are too small and need to be readable. Any comments? Anne At 09:27 PM 4/19/01 -0400, gregory j. rosmaita wrote: > this is from 12 april 2001 -- it failed to slip the surly bonds of my >system, and from the mail archive, it is clear both that (a) anne has >continued to work on her G3 mockup, and (b) the issues raised below still > so, while my comments are based on earlier > note as >well that, save for spacer images and what serves as a pseudo-header for the >page, i have inserted placeholder ALT text, as i have no idea what the >graphics contain, nor could the sighted individual who told me that the >image used as a pseudo-header is an image of text adequately encapsulate the >contents of the graphics ("i don't even know where to begin.." was all i >could elicit) > >gregory. > >--- Begin Resend --- >aloha, anne! > >as we've discussed in the past, simply because a site is intended for use by >those who are classified as "non-readers" or "readers who need supplemental >graphical/iconic information in order to contextualize and understand >content", doesn't mean that one should: > >a) use invalid markup -- ALT, after all, is a REQUIRED attribute of HTML in >its most current iteration; simply declaring a legacy DTD in one's document >(or allowing one's authoring tool to do so) doesn't exempt one from the >obligation to provide alternative content for >modality specific information > >or, b) selectively implement WCAG > >i have absolutely no objection to >the use of graphics, icons, or visual cues -- in fact, as someone who was >fully sighted for 20 years before losing his vision, i appreciate the value >of a good illustration, graphic, or icon -- but that does not exempt one >from the obligation to ensure that one's pages aren't usable in a single >modality, and, anne, your mockup is only usable in a single modality... > >part of the reason may be your use of Publisher as a web authoring tool--it >is my understanding that Publisher is primarily intended as a desktop >publishing tool into which a "save as HTML" or "save to Web" functionality >was added at the request of users who wanted to replicate materials they had > and, unless things have changed since i >investigated Publisher for the AU WG a year ago, it does a pretty poor job >of converting to HTML because the "save as HTML" option was perceived by >Publishers' developers as an add-on intended solely for the convenience of >Publisher users, and not in order to transform Publisher into a dedicated > note: i am not trashing Publisher, but merely >pointing out that it isn't the optimal developmental environment for web >content--it is a desktop publishing environment, which means that it is so >intensely WYSIWYG-oriented that, at least in the version i played with, it >turned actual text into graphics of text in order to preserve text flows >around inline graphical objects, with the inevitable result that when one >simply increased the font size, the text-flow completely breaks down, not to > in the >desktop publishing environment, the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) >concept can actually work--providing the author with a >reasonably-to-extremely accurate (depending upon the hardware and software >the author is running) portrayal of what will result from the issuance of a > and, of course, unlike the web, once it is printed, it >would look the same in bangkok as it does in birmingham or in benin--which >can't be said for the electronic version of the document... > >perusing the document source underlying your markup reminded me of a >scenario brought to the attention of the User Agent WG by denis anson, >who described the case of an individual with a form of brain damage that >caused a sensory overload, thereby opening a perceptual black hole, which > to >illustrate the problem encountered by this individual, denis used the >example of a poker game--apparently, this individual was a hell of a five >card stud player, but if he attempted to play poker with more than >five cards in his hand, he lost the ability to process the contents of > the end result was a request for a >browser setting which would allow a user to toggle the rendering of >images on and off on a per-image basis so that a graphics heavy page (or >one on which graphics have been extensively used to illustrate concepts) >need not cause a sensory overload that makes the contents of the page >completely inaccessible... > > because it illustrates the point that there are no > graphics without textual equivalents >are not a solution for all users with cognative disabilities--while some >need graphical reinforcement of concepts conveyed primarily through text, >some need textual descriptions of a graphical object in order to decide >whether or not to toggle rendering of the image on... > >the bottom line is, no matter whom your target audience may be, there is >no excuse for not applying all of WCAG to your document source, which >means (a) validating your markup, and (b) providing textual equivalents >for graphical information, especially when graphics are used to convey >information not contained textually in the body of the document, is >necessary, even if you are personally convinced that in ninety-nine per >cent of all cases, end users of your content will not only have image >loading turned on, but are capable of perceiving graphical content... > >all that being said, i have deconstructed your mockup and attached it to >this emessage--following my signature, i have also read into this post a >Lynx-generated text-image of your original page and my rudimentary ER >pass... > >gregory. > >--- Lynx Text Image of Anne's Original G3 mockup --- > > [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] > [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] > [INLINE] > > 3.1 Use consistent presentation. > > [INLINE] > [INLINE] > [INLINE] > [INLINE] > > 3.2 Emphasize structure through presentation, positioning, and labels. > > [INLINE] > [INLINE] > [INLINE] > [1][USEMAP] > >--- Lynx Text Image of GJR's Quick Corrections to Anne's G3 Mockup --- > Guideline 3 > > 3.1 Use consistent presentation. > > I Have No Idea What This Graphic Portrays > I Don't Know What This Graphic Portrays Either > > 3.2 Emphasize structure through presentation, positioning, and labels. > > I don't know what information this graphic was intended to communicate > [1]I don't know from the markup exactly what this IMG illustrates. > Attachment Converted: "c:\eud-anne\attach\G3_gjr.htm" Anne Pemberton apembert@erols.com http://www.erols.com/stevepem http://www.geocities.com/apembert45
Received on Friday, 20 April 2001 06:49:01 UTC