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Re: Longdesc vs d

for

From: Jared Smith
Date: Oct 28, 2003 10:55AM

Another very logical way to give access to the long description is by
making the complex image itself a link to the long description page.
If the textual description is on another page, then I'd still add the
longdesc attribute, but also make the image a link to the same
longdesc page. This solves the problems of lack of longdesc support,
the obscurity of the d link, and does not require other visible text
on the page.

<a href="longdesc.htm"><img src="compleximg.gif"
alt="Pie chart showing number of visitors with link to more information"
longdesc="longdesc.htm"></a>

Also, the long decription page does not have to be text only. The page
can still contain colors, layout, and (heaven forbid) more images, as
long as it provides the description of the complex image in an
accessible manner.

Jared Smith
WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind)
Center for Persons with Disabilities
Utah State University



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On Tuesday, October 28, 2003 you sent:
PB> To echo what Jukka said, here is a quote from the WebAIM tutorial on
PB> accessible images (found at http://www.webaim.org/techniques/images/6):

PB> <quote>

PB> 6.2 Methods of Providing a Long Description

PB> There are several ways of providing a long description for images. I
PB> have listed these options below, in order of "most preferred" first to
PB> "least preferred" at the bottom:

PB> 1. Provide the long description in the context of the document itself
PB> 2. Provide a link to a long description via a normal text link
PB> 3. Provide a link to a long description via the longdesc attribute
PB> 4. Provide a link to a long description via a "d" link

PB> Those who are familiar with accessibility techniques may be surprised to
PB> find that the longdesc attribute and "d" link are at the bottom of the
PB> list. The reason for this is that both methods are rather obscure. The
PB> longdesc attribute is invisible (and inaccessible in some browsers) to
PB> people who are not using screen readers. The "d" link is
PB> non-conventional, and can be confusing to people who are not familiar
PB> with their purpose. The most straightforward way of making long
PB> descriptions accessible is to make them obvious and available to
PB> everyone, whether or they have a disability or not.

PB> </quote>


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