Re: title attributes on links

Hi Glen,

The title attribute is not a container for a text alternative, the alt
attribute is. The reason why what you describe works is that the title
content is used as a last resort for  calculating the accessible name [3]
for an HTML element. It should not be promoted as as technique as it
conflates the semantics of alt and title. The use of title does not fulfill
one of the other functions of alt attribute text: when images are disabled
in the browser it does is not rendered in place of the image [1]. If you
want to use the title because it also displays a tooltip keeping mind that
it does not display on touch or mobile devices and it is not keyboard
accessible [2].

It is also non conforming in HTML to have an <img> without an alt attribute.


[1]
http://www.paciellogroup.com/blog/2010/01/alt-and-title-content-display-in-popular-browsers/
[2]
http://www.paciellogroup.com/blog/2010/11/using-the-html-title-attribute/
[3] http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/aria-implementation/#mapping_additional_nd_te

regards
SteveF

On 24 May 2012 06:50, Glen Wallis <glen.wallis@gmail.com> wrote:

> I recently tested a site that includes images with title attributes but no
> alt attributes. The title attribute is read correctly by NVDA and two
> versions of Jaws.
>
> Does the title attribute have enough support to be considered a sufficient
> technique?
>
> Glen Wallis
>