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Re: clear text image descriptions and alt text with user-created content

for

From: Ryan E. Benson
Date: Mar 20, 2012 11:09AM

Steve,

> Until such times I have suggested a pattern in examples in HTML5:
> Techniques for providing useful text alternatives
> http://dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/#sec12
> http://dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/#m6
I like example C in Alt Techniques #m6, and example B in #sec12. I
wonder if there was a way to tell here is the end of the caption
semantically. It took me a minute to figure out why you put (Photo 1)
at the end of the caption, then I realized by putting the alt text
again at the end, it would signal the end of the caption, such as when
people say start/end quote on the news.

--
Ryan E. Benson



On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 10:38 AM, Steve Faulkner
< <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Hi Jared,
> The problem i see with use of alt="" in this context is that if there is a
> caption for something then that something needs to be identified.
> In time I hope the HTML5 figure/figcaption elementes will provide the
> appropaitae semantics for this situation.
> In HTML5 it is conforming for an image inside a figure with acaption not to
> have an alt attribute, on the presumption that the image is adequately
> dscribed by the caption. In this case I would expect user agents such as
> screen readers to announce the presence of the image "graphic -
> caption:....".
>
> Until such times I have suggested a pattern in examples in HTML5:
> Techniques for providing useful text alternatives
> http://dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/#sec12
> http://dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/#m6
>
> would appreciate your feedback on these.
>
> regards
> steve
>
> On 20 March 2012 14:27, Jared Smith < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
>> On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 7:10 AM,  < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>
>> > 1. When there is a clear text image description, what should the
>> > alt text on the image be?
>>
>> If the image description (i.e., caption) of the image conveys the
>> content of the image, the image should probably have alt="". I like to
>> teach that every image must have alternative text, but that
>> alternative text does not necessarily have to be in the alt attribute.
>> A caption is acceptable. Alt="" conveys that the image does not convey
>> content or the content is conveyed in nearby content (e.g., the image
>> caption).
>>
>> > 2. In contexts (such as social media) where he clear text image
>> > description is welcome or permissible, should be used even if the
>> > authoring tool allows alt (and possibly longerdesc)?
>>
>> I think this depends on the image and the image's context. In some
>> cases having an image and a text description would be redundant for
>> sighted users (imagine a photo of a cat with a caption of "cat"). In
>> this case, the alt attribute would be better. The key is to accurately
>> and succinctly convey the content while avoiding repetition or
>> duplication of content.
>>
>> Jared Smith
>> WebAIM.org
>>