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

for

From: Steve Faulkner
Date: Mar 20, 2012 11:21AM

Hi Ryan,

> I wonder if there was a way to tell here is the end of the caption
semantically.

In firefox the figcaption element is mapped to the IA2 accessibility API
caption role, so screen readers can identify to users what caption text is
once they have implemented support.

regards
steve

On 20 March 2012 17:11, Ryan E. Benson < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> 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
> >>