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Re: Alt text in Word 2016: Indicate null image & which box to type in

for

From: L Snider
Date: Jan 16, 2017 6:15PM

Ah okay, I just found my notes on this one...I was wrong, it wasn't for
Word! If one uses LibreOffice, then you have to use the title field, not
the description field in order for the alt to go into the PDF properly. My
apologies for mixing the two programs!

Cheers

Lisa




On Mon, Jan 16, 2017 at 7:10 PM, L Snider < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> Hi Bevi,
>
> Thanks so much. From what I remember the title was a backup in case the
> screen reader couldn't do the description, so both were filled out not just
> one or the other. So it was like a back up in case, although then one could
> get duplicate content from the two fields.
>
> I was vague in my email, I never thought it was part of WCAG, it was a
> hack used for some screen readers. I will see if I can find the references
> to that, to see if I can identify the screen reader in question I also
> can't remember if this was for Word docs that would remain Word docs (I
> know, many aren't kept that way so it then changes things).
>
> AT isn't perfect, as we all know, so it is just trying to find the best
> way to catch the ones most people use...like everything else on the web!
> Some days I wonder how far we have come in 18 years, and then other days I
> am more optimistic!
>
> Cheers
>
> Lisa
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 16, 2017 at 6:37 PM, Chagnon | PubCom < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> wrote:
>
>> << Do you think Description is enough to catch almost everyone today? >>
>>
>> I'd take a look at the standards and decide.
>> All stakeholders are supposed to abide by the standards, including all
>> assistive technology manufacturers as well as content creators (us).
>>
>> Alt-text is an attribute on the <IMG> (web) or <FIGURE> (pdf) tag.
>> When a PDF is exported from Word, the Description field in Word is
>> converted to Alt-text.
>> When a Word document is converted to HTML (or imported into an HTML
>> webpage), I have no idea if the description field is converted to Alt-text
>> in the HTML. In my experience, alt-text doesn't carry over from Word to
>> HTML.
>>
>> The Title tag is not alt-text and doesn't convert to alt-text. With some
>> file formats, it might put a Title attribute on an element, but it is not
>> standard practice to put a Title attribute on a graphic <IMG> or <FIGURE>
>> tag. I also can't find anything in WCAG or PDF/UA that specifies a Title
>> attribute on a graphic. (If so, please let me know!) Therefore, don't count
>> on any assistive technology to recognize a Title attribute on a graphic
>> because they're not required by the standard to recognize it on a graphic.
>>
>> So in my reading of all this, the Description field should be enough to
>> catch everyone using AT. If an AT isn't recognizing and presenting the
>> Alt-text, then it's failing WCAG and PDF/UA international accessibility
>> standards. And shame on the manufacturer!
>>
>> FYI, an excellent summary of WCAG is on WebAIM's site,
>> http://webaim.org/standards/wcag/WCAG2Checklist.pdf. Succinct,
>> well-written, and comprehendible by mere mortals. This version is
>> copyrighted 2016, so I'm assuming it's the latest version of their
>> checklist.
>>
>> --Bevi Chagnon
>>
>> - - -
>> Bevi Chagnon | www.PubCom.com
>> Technologists, Consultants, Trainers, Designers, and Developers
>> for publishing & communication
>> | Acrobat PDF | Print | EPUBS | Sec. 508 Accessibility |
>> - - -
>>
>>