Re: A few thoughts on using dynamic web pages to improve

Hi Len,
I was wondering what effect placing a null value in the alt tag. Doesn't
this result in the same problem as having no alt tags at all, in that the
user will be prevented from finding out the reason for the image? I would
assume that in most cases the image has some meaning, and therefore would
benefit the user if they could have a description of it.

I don't doubt that on a very busy interface there might be call to reduce
the amount of text (although perhaps the page is overloaded anyway?) , but
such decisions should be made with a lot of caution, and only when there's
no other way to simplify the page. Otherwise,it might wrongly encourage
designers to use null values on images that would enhance the page.

Gareth Parkinson


-----Original Message-----
From: Leonard R. Kasday <kasday@acm.org>
To: Scott Luebking <phoenixl@netcom.com>; <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Date: 15 November 1999 16:09
Subject: Re: A few thoughts on using dynamic web pages to improve


>Hi Scott,
>
>Thank for the extra example. I just want to check one thing to preempt any
>misunderstanding.  Even though you offer a page with alternate layout and
>other changes to make browsing more efficient with screenreaders, you still
>make the default page "accessible" in the conventional sense, right?
>
>For example, the default page would still satisfy the web accessibility
>guidelines... alt text, table reading order, etc.   It's just that the
>alternate page would be more efficient to use.
>
>As for the details...
>
>1. It does seem useful to have an alternate layout where the section of
>links and references come at the end instead of the beginning.  It might
>also be useful to have a link at the start of the page to jump to that
section
>
>2. You speak of leaving out decorative images, but why not accomplish that
>by simply having null alt text?  A ha.

Received on Wednesday, 17 November 1999 13:22:23 UTC