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Re: IMAGE OF TABLE LINKED TO DESCRIPTIVE FILE

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From: Laurie Davis-Covin
Date: Nov 1, 2002 9:03AM

Hi, Mark--

Thanks for responding. I didn't make myself very clear in my email. The
table itself is a gif file, and would be linked to a descriptive page on
the table and its contents.
But I agree with using an html table. It's a pretty simple data table. I
believe she'd just need to use th for headings.

Again, thanks, I appreciate your thoughts!


At 10:40 AM 11/1/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi Laurie,
>
>The alt tag solution would be very difficult to make truly Section 508
>compliant. This is because it will be hard to associate data values with the
>corresponding row and column headings.
>
>In a project I worked on a couple of years ago we used alt tags for each td
>element in the table. The alt tags restated the appropriate heading
>information then the data value. Again, we had an html table with graphics in
>the table cells.
>
>The best solution would to use an html table. Hence, you would only need an
>alt tag for the graphical data, the screen reader could associate the cell
>with the row or column headings. You may need to use the scope attribute in
>the heading cells. Even Jaws is able to track when the scope attribute is
>being used.
>
>Mark Rew
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Laurie Davis-Covin" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>To: < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 9:47 AM
>Subject: IMAGE OF TABLE LINKED TO DESCRIPTIVE FILE
>
>
> > As I have the time to review items in this forum, I find that some give
> > rise to many different thoughts on the issue of accessibility and the
> > techniques used to make Web pages accessible.
> > I would like to hear your thoughts on the following situation.
> >
> >
> > Someone asked me - if in lieu of inserting a descriptive link before their
> > simple data table, which is a gif file,
> > would it be considered accessible to make the table a link to the
> > description of the table. In the alt tag say, for instance,
> > "This is an image of a table listing names of members under each of three
> > different departments,
> > A, B and C; the link leads to a description of this table."
> >
> > Personally, it appears to me to be a bit contrived - and the table, as a
> > gif file, begins its life as being less accessible.
> > But, please give me your opinions. I've learned so much from this forum!
> >
> >
> >
> > Laurie Davis-Covin, Web Specialist
> > SAIC @ National Institute of
> > Standards and Technology
> > 100 Bureau Drive
> > Admin. Building, Room E 220
> > Gaithersburg, MD 20899
> > Ph: 301-975-8027
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
> > visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
> >
> >
>
>
>----
>To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
>visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/

Laurie Davis-Covin, Web Specialist
SAIC @ National Institute of
Standards and Technology
100 Bureau Drive
Admin. Building, Room E 220
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
Ph: 301-975-8027





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