WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: WCAG 1.4.5 Question

for

From: Jeevan Reddy
Date: Mar 30, 2012 6:52AM

David,

1.4.5 Images of Text, states at the beginning, "If the technologies being

> used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey
> information rather than images of text..."
> The intent of the success criteria is to use text as much as possible
> instead images so that text can easily processed for example translating
> into other languages and reduces page load. This doesn't limit you to use
> text only which is not realistic in todays web sites.
>
Also this will apply only to images of text for example text snips
not for general images like photographs.


> What is meant by the word "technologies" in this case? Does it mean things
> like HTML, Flash, PDF, etc.? Or does it mean the technology used to create
> the page or file?
>
> Yes, technologies being used here are the technologies used to creat the
web like HTML, CSS, Javascript/Jquery, etc for creating web pagbes and
Office documents, spread sheets, presentations, and Accrobat etc to creat
web content.

> For example, let's say I'm talking about an HTML web page, but the
> technology used to create the page is a software that assembles components
> dynamically. And this software was specifically created to place images on
> web pages, not chunks of HTML.
>
> Would this be a case where we could say that "the technology being used
> can't achieve the visual presentation", and we pass this guideline? Or, as
> far as this guideline is concerned, is this just an HTML page and HTML
> *is*capable of achieving the visual presentation using regular text,
> so this
> case fails the guideline.
>
> This would definetly paass the successs criteria 1.4.5.


> I guess I'm wondering about the intent of including the "if" clause at the
> beginning of this guideline. They could have just said, "Text *must* be
> used to convey information, rather than images of text..." but they are
> giving an "out" to page authors in some situation. Is my case an example of
> that situation? If not, what would be an example of a "technology that
> can't be used to achieve the visual presentation?
>
> Yes, you can't achive visual presentation because it is used to process
the images(inserting in your case).


> Thanks,
> David
> > > >



--
Best Regards,
*Jeevan Reddy,
Accessibility Developer,
Onya Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd,
Bangalore, India.
*