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Re: What assistive technology does (and doesn't do)

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From: James Gagnier
Date: Dec 16, 2003 2:44PM

That's exactly it. Client side image maps can be read by screen reading
technologies but server side image maps can't. Case in point,
www.mapquest.com is inaccessible to screenreaders.

James

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Harshbarger" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
To: < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 4:08 PM
Subject: RE: What assistive technology does (and doesn't do)


Jules,

Could the possible conflict be in the differences between server-side and
client-side image maps?

>-----Original Message-----
>From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
>Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 2:40 PM
>To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>Subject: RE: What assistive technology does (and doesn't do)
>
>
>Hi Rachel:
>
>There are two parts to your question.
>
>(1) Links in image maps. There seems to be a bit of a conflict
>in information between WCAG check points 1.1 and 1.5. Check
>point 1.1 (Priority
>1) states that images and regions in image maps are to be
>given alt text which seems to suggest that hotspot regions are
>"visible" to ATs. However, 1.5 (Priority 3) states that
>equivalent text links should be provided for all hotspot
>regions in image maps which seems to suggest that at least
>some ATs may not "see" hotspot regions. I suggest that text
>links be provided just in case.
>
>(2) Links are an integral part of the WWW and for that reason
>(I don't have any actual experience with ATs), I believe that
>ATs would announce in some means or another to the user that a
>link has been encountered. Other circumstantial evidence is
>based on the current practice of creating link text. In the
>past, many of us wrote "Click here to go my resume" with
>"click here" as the link text. The phrase "click here" is
>mouse centric and many accessibility professionals recommend
>dropping any reference to the mouse because not everyone uses
>a mouse. Furthermore, "click here" does not identify the
>content of the destination page. With those recommendations,
>links are now being rewritten as "For more information, read
>my resume" where "my resume" is link text. Given that, if
>links were not announced to an AT user, they would read right
>past "my resume" without any indiciation that they just went
>past a link. Therefore, it is my belief that links are
>identified to an AT user. Furethermore, since AT users are
>provided with that information when they encounter a link, I
>don't feel it is necessary to use the text "link" in Alt or
>Title text, they know it is a link. If a sighted user can
>understand from the blue underlined text that "my resume" is a
>link to my resume, then don't suggest that people with little
>to no sight are any less intelligent - alt text on a link
>graphic should provide the same text information as in the graphic.
>
>Jules
>
>---------------------------------------------------------
>Julian Rickards
>Digital Publications Distribution Coordinator
>Publications Services Section
>Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
>Phone: (705) 670-5608
>Fax: (705) 670-5690
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Rachel Tanenhaus [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 2:55 PM
>> To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>> Subject: What assistive technology does (and doesn't do)
>
>
>> "So all assistive technology [used for browsing the web] can
>identify
>> when something is a link?" they asked.
>
>
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>


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