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RE: Complication of the alt text issue

for

From: Kilcommons,Cath
Date: Mar 12, 2002 5:14PM

Regarding using ALT and TITLE- remember that in IE, ALT will be displayed as a "tool tip" and TITLE will be read by JAWS (3.7 & 4.0)-- can't generalize that behavior to other browsers and screen readers, but that is how those two work.

Regards,
Cath

Cath Stager- Kilcommons
Assistive Technology Support and
Web Accessibility Coordinator
Assistive Technology Resource Center
<http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/ATRC>;
Colorado State University
970-491-6258
<EMAIL REMOVED>

-----Original Message-----
From: John Foliot - bytown internet [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2002 5:31 PM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Cc: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: RE: Complication of the alt text issue


- ALT attribute is a brief descriptive of the image... in your case
"Products and Services" or at the most "Products and Services Page". Just
as the "button" generally offers no more explanation than that to the
sighted, so too the ALT text. Trust me, the non-sighted will understand
that this is a link to the Products and Services page(s). Try to avoid
over-compensation, it could inadvertanly become offensive, almost a "dumbing
down for the blind guy". (with no offence to anyone on this list) You could
try using the title attribute, but it's support over multiple browsers is
dodgy at best.

- You know that ALL images have ALT text, even if its <..ALT="">

- If the image in question requires more explanation than as mentioned
above, move to LONGDESC and or d-links (both are external files with text
descriptions of the image in question)

As for accessiblity "enhancements" such as keyboard short cuts, why not make
a seperate page within your site which outlines all of the accessibility
features you have provided, along with a list of the keyboard shortcuts?
Trying to make the ALT text serve multiple purposes is contrary to it's
intent and actually (as you have discovered) creates as many problems as it
attempts to solve.

As always, JMHO

JF
www.bytowninternet.com


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lisa Halabi [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
> Sent: March 12, 2002 5:48 PM
> To: Webaim-Forum
> Subject: FW: Complication of the alt text issue
>
>
> Dear All,
>
> I'm having difficulties trying to help a colleague solve the
> thorny issue of
> what to put on Alt tags as part of a massive redesign to make our Company
> site ultra accessible. I've seen this issue discussed countless times and
> thought it was all clear and simple, but not so! Please see the
> email below.
> Basically, we can't decide on the appropriate level of detail to include,
> especially as we want to show the keyboard short cuts in the Alt tags as
> well. I'd appreciate any comments you might have.
>
> The url to the site is www.usabilitybydesign.com
> Many thanks in advance.
> Lisa
>
> Lisa Halabi
> Senior Usability & Accessibility Consultant
> Events Coordinator - UK Usability Professionals Assoc.
> www.usabilitybydesign.com
> Email: <EMAIL REMOVED>
> Tel: +44 (0)7956 280 447
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gary Bunker
> Sent: 12 March 2002 15:16
> To: Lisa Halabi
> Cc: Paul Chandler
> Subject: Complication of the alt text issue
>
>
> Lisa,
>
> a slight complication.
>
> To sum up, current alt text is in a long form, explaining what
> can be found.
> For example for the products/services button it is "Details on
> the products
> and services we offer, and what they can do for you"
>
> Problem being that they don't provide the actual name of the button
> (products and services) and are quite long, so that blind users have to
> listen to the entire alt text and then decide which section they are
> navigating to.
>
> Your initial proposal was to shorten them to just the name of the section,
> i.e. "Products and services" - however that makes it easier to
> listen to but
> provides no feedback on the content of the section being visited.
>
> We had come to an agreement that the best approach is to shorten the alt
> text to something like "Products: For usability products and services" -
> short enough not to be too annoying to blind users but long enough to
> provide some hint to sighted users of the content to be found.
>
> However, we also currently use the alt text to explain to blind
> users that a
> quick key is available. So the current alt text is actually
> "Details on the products and services we offer, and what they can do for
> you.
>
> Alt + 'P' to select"
>
> Obviously if we go with the solution we just proposed we lose the shortcut
> key information - making it much harder for both sighted and visually
> impaired users to learn those shortcuts.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
>
>
>
> ----
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>
>


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