RE: Issue #1305

> There *is* a user agent problem with the example Chris gives above-- at
> least for current-generation screen readers.  Current screen readers

must be upgraded if they're not working to spec. End of story.

> So the screen reader user who encountered the example above would hear 
> something like "Link graphic drawing of a house" or (for Home Page 
> Reader) "Drawing of a house" in a differen voice signalling the presence 
> of a link

until the screen reader was updated to meet the spec.

Seriously, I don't know how many times I've cautioned the Working Group 
against customizing WCAG to the peccadilloes of current user agents, 
which, curiously enough, always ends up being defined as Jaws and/or 
Windows, which, equally curiously, are what the proponents of such 
customization actually use. We aren't writing WCAG solely for you and your 
computer.

> Also, I would argue strongly against using a phrase lke "Go to the" at
> the beginning of what a user might hear as link .  Links lists like
> those provided by JAWS and Home Page Reader, and by at least some
> Firefox extensions, allow users to move through the list by pressing the
> initial letter of the link text.

That's a user-agent issue, not a Web-content issue.

> The href attribute "describes" the link destination by providing the
> URI.  If the graphic showing a picture of a house is used as a link to
> the home page, the alt text should serve the same purpose as the image
> (Guideline 1.1 L1 SC1) and the alt text should say "Home."

The exact opposite of what you recommended before, John.

This is an extremely simple issue that was resolved ages ago by competent 
developers.

[multiple top-posts effaced]

-- 

     Joe Clark | joeclark@joeclark.org
     Accessibility <http://joeclark.org/access/>
     Expect criticism if you top-post

Received on Tuesday, 14 December 2004 22:45:33 UTC