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Re: Race, Gender, and Other Categories in Alt Text for Headshots

for

From: _mallory
Date: Feb 12, 2016 12:50PM

I'm a lynx user!!! :P (when using my mail client). I wouldn't want
a desc of headshots though.

It's good though for people to know there *is* a headshot. It's not
considered decoration of the site, so it's content, albeit not
horribly imporant content.

_mallory

On Fri, Feb 12, 2016 at 03:56:27PM +0000, Patrick H. Lauke wrote:
> On 12/02/2016 15:43, Robert Fentress wrote:
> >So, I've got a bio page for the people working in a department, and it
> >includes a head shot photo of the employee. How do I handle alt text
> >in this instance?
> >
> >My first instinct is to null it out, since the person's name is right
> >beside the image, it is almost fluff, and I don't know that someone
> >using a screen reader would want the extra noise of saying something
> >like "Head Shot of John Smith". Then, I think more about it and
> >wonder if I'm assuming too much.
> >
> >First, I shouldn't assume only blind people would be using the alt
> >text. For instance, someone who is not blind may be using Lynx or
> >something. The information could possibly also be useful as metadata.
>
> I would posit that the number of users in this camp is...fleetingly
> small (now bracing myself for the vocal "I'M A LYNX USER" crowd...)
>
> >Second, perhaps a blind person would want to know what this person
> >looked like. Why would people come to a page like this? Well, one
> >scenario is they are going to meet with someone and want to know what
> >they look like so they can identify them in a group. There are
> >others, but that is one. So the person may come to a public place
> >armed with this info and ask a bystander if they recognize someone in
> >the crowd who looks like "thus and so."
> >
> >So, how do you describe someone in that instance? Well, here comes
> >the tricky bit. What shortcuts or categories do we use to describe
> >people? Often, we might mention someone's *perceived* gender, and,
> >perhaps, if we are less sensitive, their age, race, or ethnicity. I
> >assume the last three, at least, are off limits. Indeed, legally, I
> >think, in my context, even describing someone using any of these
> >categories might be forbidden in official communications.
>
> Sounds like a "longdesc" of the photo to me. Also, as you quite
> rightly mention, this opens up a whole host of sensitivity issues
> that I'd say would be absolutely best avoided. Just don't go there
> ("dark skinned, middle eastern looking man with a beard and
> turban...")
>
> >So what *do* you say? What are relevant and useful descriptors that
> >would be permitted?
>
> I'd hazard a guess and say: nowadays, none (for various levels of
> sensitivity, discrimination, etc).
>
> >Or am I overthinking things?
>
> Possibly, yes. Unless the way a person looks is the essential
> content of the image (for instance, I don't know, a site that does
> in fact compare the skin color of a group of people, where their
> skin color is actually what that image is primarily conveying), I'd
> steer well clear of it.
>
> P
> --
> Patrick H. Lauke
>
> www.splintered.co.uk | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
> http://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | http://redux.deviantart.com
> twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke
> > > >