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

for

From: julian.rickards@ndm.gov.on.ca
Date: Dec 17, 2003 8:03AM

It appears that this discussion went on for quite a bit after I had left
work and I am going through the messages - this one may have been answered
already.

Regarding your question, I just checked both check points 1.1 and 1.5 and
1.5 specifically refers to client side but 1.1 does not although it refers
to image map regions. Of the two check points, I would have suspected that
1.5 (Until user agents render text equivalents for client-side image map
links, provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side
image map.) would have been more geared to server side but in fact it is
more clearly refering to client side than 1.1.

However, 1.5 is a priority 3 and may simply be there to ask developers to
accomodate older ATs that don't support client-side image maps. I haven't
used Lynx but if Opera's text-only mode is representative of Lynx, then
image maps are not visible to Lynx users at all other than perhaps the alt
text of the image as a whole.

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: Tim Harshbarger [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 4:08 PM
> To: ' <EMAIL REMOVED> '
> 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.
> >
> >
> >----
> >To subscribe, unsubscribe, suspend, or view list archives,
> >visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
> >
> >
>
>
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