- From: Steven Faulkner <faulkner.steve@gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:24:09 +0100
- To: "Lachlan Hunt" <lachlan.hunt@lachy.id.au>
- Cc: public-html@w3.org, wai-xtech@w3.org
Hi Lachlan, My point is that making the alt optional does not solve any problems. As the only reliable way to have a meaningful text alternative provided is for the author to provide it. So all that is achieved is the removal of the blunt message that is provided to authors by the the requirement of the alt attribute. i.e. if you don't have alt attributes on images in your document: it is not valid, is it's replacement by an equally blunt message: if you don't have alt attributes on images in your document: it is valid. I would prefer to be brodcasting the first message rather than the second as the use of the alt atttibute is the primary mechanism by which text alternatives are provided. Without alt, one can be sure that the image is not accessible, With alt present there is at least half a chance that image is accessible. regards steve On 11/04/2008, Lachlan Hunt <lachlan.hunt@lachy.id.au> wrote: > Steven Faulkner wrote: > > Two images without explicitly associated text alternatives. > > 1 is an image is decorative that the author has accidently left off > > the alt, the other is "critical content" that the author could not > > provide an alt for whatever reason > > 1 can be safely ignored, the other should be brought to the attention > > of the user. > > > > <img src="abc.jpg"> > > > > <img src="xyz.jpg"> > > > > How is Assistive Technology supposed to reliably determine this? > > > > I'm not sure what your point is here. The same question can be applied when > both have empty alt attributes: > > > <img src="abc.jpg" alt=""> > > <img src="xyz.jpg" alt=""> > > -- > Lachlan Hunt - Opera Software > http://lachy.id.au/ > http://www.opera.com/ > -- with regards Steve Faulkner Technical Director - TPG Europe Director - Web Accessibility Tools Consortium www.paciellogroup.com | www.wat-c.org Web Accessibility Toolbar - http://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html
Received on Friday, 11 April 2008 14:24:57 UTC