RE: Accessible Image Gallery Software

Here's my quick GBP0.02 on this:

> 1) I would like to get access to the longdesc text of the images by a 
> means accessible to "normal" browsers (I haven't been able to work it 
> out in Mozilla); I've seen the "D" link concept, but on a page of 
> thumbnails, this doesn't sound too practical since we would have a 
> multiplication of link texts.  Ideas?

To avoid multiplication of link texts, why not expand the title
attribute of the [D] slightly to include the image title ?
Provided that image titles are unique (ok, a baseless assumption),
you could have "description for [IMAGE TITLE]" as the title attribute.
If the image title is not unique, maybe it could also include the
unique ID for the image...maybe not 100% elegant, but at least that
would solve the "uniqueness" to links.
"description for [IMAGE TITLE] - [IMAGE ID]"

> 2) Am I going "too far" in proposing a completely text-only version 
> (selectable by a link in the galleries) which comes out like this:
> <h1>gallery title</h1>
> <h2>image1 title</h2>
> <p>longdesc for image1</p>
> <h2>image2 title</h2>
> ...etc.
> To me this seems just as valid to do this way in the same way 
> that radio 
> coverage of a spectator sport is as valid as television coverage.

To me that sounds like an extremely sensible idea.

> 3) Phase II will put see all the text finding it's way into the 
> database, allowing language selection.  If anyone would be 
> interested in 
> helping in translating menu options, error messages, etc., into other 
> languages, let me know.

I've got 4 languages under my belt (German, Italian, French, English)
and would be quite happy to contribute.

> 4) All stages to accessible apart from the one where the 
> operator has to 
> look at the pictures and write up the longdescs!

Again, this does make sense to me. I don't see an accessible way
in which a visually impaired user may get an alternative way of
writing a description for something that potentially they can't see.
As long as it's accessible in all other terms (properly labelled
form fields, sane tab order, etc) that should be fine.

Happy coding, and let me know if you may need help with the translation,

Patrick
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Received on Friday, 16 May 2003 04:24:44 UTC