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RE: alt text and captions

for

From: julian.rickards@ndm.gov.on.ca
Date: Feb 5, 2004 11:14AM

The WAVE tool flags web pages where the alt text and adjacent text are
identical - perhaps this is more of a usability issue rather than an
accessibility issue but if the caption is the same as the alt text, those
with screen readers are going to hear the same text twice.

I would recommend either making one different from the other or use empty
alts.

I saw a similar issue whereby the title attribute had the same content as
the anchor text such as <a href="#" title="Home">Home</a> which again is
redundant.

---------------------------------------------------------
Julian Rickards
Digital Publications Distribution Coordinator
Publications Services Section
Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
Phone: (705) 670-5608
Fax: (705) 670-5690


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rachel Tanenhaus [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]


> If a graphic is being used on a web site, and its caption is
> essentially
> a description of the picture being shown, what should be in the alt
> text? Right now, the caption and the alt text are identical,
> and we're
> wondering if that's a usability issue, or if it's just plain redundant
> and annoying, or what? How does one handle repetitive text like that?
> I suspect that a blank alt attribute (<alt="">) is inappropriate.


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