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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 11:30AM

Steve,

> 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.
Do you know what other browsers are planning to do?

--
Ryan E. Benson



On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 1:19 PM, Steve Faulkner
< <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> 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
>> >>