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Re: A larger discussion (was RE: Inline Images and ALT text)

for

From: Dan Conley
Date: Jan 15, 2009 7:40AM


This right here is why I subscribe to the list!

Almost all of our images fall into two categories: decorative and
complex. I use an empty alt for the (few) decorative images we have, and
the rest use long descriptions linked to in the text, so essentially all
of our images have empty alts. I see what people mean about the image
disappearing, though, and so I think I'm going to go through and
replace, for example, the empty alt text in Figure 1 of an encyclopedia
article with 'Figure 1.' Immediately after the image there's a link to
the description, if they want to know what it's saying, and if a text
user, etc, wants the image they know where to get it.

Right?

(that's the rub with accessibility: like most things in life, there's no
one completely right answer)

Dan Conley
Information Specialist
Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and
Exchange (CIRRIE)
University at Buffalo, Health Sciences Library B6
Phone: (716) 829-3900 x145
<EMAIL REMOVED>
http://cirrie.buffalo.edu

Oliver Boermans wrote:
> Thanks for the interesting discussion people!
>
> As one of those learning lurkers [thanks John], I'd like to put
> forward a design/communication principal which may have some bearing
> on ensuring content is accessible and interesting.
>
> With an idea to express, the most effective combination of text and
> image is one where the visual and verbal elements work together. An
> images with a caption that seems to restate the apparent content of
> the image is boring alongside one that has a caption that tells us
> something more. The viewers is involved by connecting the two. Having
> a little gap is what keeps us engaged.
>
> When the image is not visible it is important to consider what is
> missing from the message as a result. I believe it is the role of the
> alt text to at least attempt to adopt the role of the image in the
> communication.
>
> With a different hat on, it is easy for me to imagine scenarios where
> having some such redundancy within the alt text of an image would be
> beneficial. Placing an image on a public webpage is also placing an
> image on the web. A web increasingly read by machines at some point
> before we are presented with it. Simplest example is Google images
> which works best when the information within the alt text clearly
> labels the content of the image.
>
> Mark me as somewhere in the middle – it's a balancing act.
>
> --
> Oliver Boermans
> Communication designer
> http://www.ollicle.com
> --
>