Re: Accessibility of ALT texts

aloha, again!

it just struck me as i tried to fall asleep that the sanest syntax (given
the present state of affairs) with which to link a CSS-generated graphic to
a textual equivalent/description might be the following (warning: the second
URI is fictitious):

background-image: url(http://www.w3.org/QA/images/qabg.png);
background-image-longdesc:
url(http://www.w3.org/QA/images/longdesc/qabg.html)
or
background-image: url(http://www.w3.org/QA/images/qabg.png);
background-image-alt: url(http://www.w3.org/QA/images/longdesc/qabg.html)
or
background-image: url(http://www.w3.org/QA/images/qabg.png);
background-image-desc: url(http://www.w3.org/QA/images/longdesc/qabg.html)

the contents of the background-image-longdesc or background-image-alt or
background-image-desc could then be pulled inline by the browser/UA to
provide for an inline textual description if (a) image loading is turned
off, and (b) the UA is configured to display descriptions of background
images inline--and, if condition b were met, then the content of the BODY of
the document referenced by the background-image-longdesc/alt/desc could then
be rendered in place of the background image, or be made available via a
context menu type functionality from a placeholder graphic, or be accessible
in toto via a UA-generated hyperlink, etc.

perhaps there are 3-levels for which functionality is needed:

background-image: url(http://www.w3.org/QA/images/qabg.png);
background-image-alt: "Quality Assurance and Conformance";
background-image-longdesc:
url(http://www.w3.org/QA/images/longdesc/qabg.html)

with the background-image-alt being required if using background-image, or
perhaps the pseudo-elemental "content" construct (actually, i think the
correct term is "property") could simply be recycled for the purpose of
providing a brief textual alternative?

gregory, who probably should be asleep.

Received on Wednesday, 11 April 2001 05:56:58 UTC