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Re: - "labelling" links to inaccessible PDFs, blackend content?

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From: Hayman, Douglass
Date: Jun 24, 2022 10:22AM

Joachim,

On the first part you ask that seems to be a compromise, to say "Here is a link to something inaccessible." If on the other hand you have the same content in accessible html and then inaccessible PDF file that would be better. I believe that many of these automated tools will scan and find PDFs and provide a warning simply to then have the person using the accessibility tool do the next process of manually checking that PDF for accessibility. Same would be the case for ALT tags where one could throw in gibberish like ALT="random words" and it would technically have ALT text but then next you'd need to make sure that this text was adequate.

As for your second part, I'd looked at the accessibility of a few vendors who make software for public records request administrators. In those it seemed that they would put in "redacted for privacy" or similar wording. Otherwise if one was using a screen reader and it was marked as decorative, what was read out loud would not make sense along the lines of:

1. I handed the packet to "redacted for privacy" and she stuck it in her briefcase.

Versus

2. I handed the packet to and she stuck it in her briefcase.

One might need to slightly vary the ALT for each so that doesn't get flagged when the same ALT text describes multiple images.

Doug Hayman
IT Accessibility Coordinator
Information Technology
Olympic College
<EMAIL REMOVED>
(360) 475-7632



-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Joachim Lindenberg
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2022 6:20 AM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] - [WebAIM] "labelling" links to inaccessible PDFs, blackend content?

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Hello,

and also thanks for the WebAIM WAVE tool that I started using today to improve accessibility of some of my web pages.

I am struggling with two issues right now, mix of lack of understanding and tool knowledge..

1. Links to PDFs. Most of the PDFs are also not accessible and some of them likely will never be. I am now adding an icon after PDF links and aria-label "link to PDF, not accessible" (actually in German). Not sure this use of aria-label is adequate. Can someone share insights please? Also the WAVE tool does complain despite these additions, is there a way to suppress the warning?
2. I do have some HTML pages that display email conversations but for privacy reasons names and addresses etc. are blackened. The HTML markup looks like <span style="background-color:black;color:black;">********</span>. WAVE complains about low contrast. Sure! Again, I can add aria-label or the like if that is acceptable. And again, can one stop WAVE to complain?

Thanks a lot for any suggestions or insights.

Joachim