- From: Anne Pemberton <apembert@crosslink.net>
- Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 21:18:31 -0700
- To: Wendy A Chisholm <wendy@w3.org>, w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
At 03:27 PM 10/16/00 -0400, Wendy A Chisholm wrote: >With the current state of browsers, I do not believe it is possible to >avoid using text in images. Tools exist that will allow users to magnify >the alt-text of those images. There are also tools that will read text out >loud. Wendy, being realistic, the browsers will never be able to duplicate the never-ending supply of fonts that designers can and will create and expect to use on the web. It would be better to tell designers what they CAN do (alt text the words in the image) .. and be done with it. >Therefore, I have to agree that sites may use text in images and claim >Double A conformance. However, we should limit the use of text in images to >only what is necessary for branding. I propose limiting text in images to >logos and navigation buttons. It should not be possible to put an entire >paragraph of text in an image and claim Double A conformance because you >lose the structure of the document. I'm not sure how this would happen, but then I've had absolutely no experience with a speech reader, only hearsay ... My concern is that people could claim "branding" for so >many things to avoid converting something to markup. Again, tell them what they CAN do ... alt-text it! >Therefore, someone that wedded to appearance is probably only going to >claim Single A and we should all be satisfied with that. Agreed ... if higher compliance compromises company or owner intentions, the paycheck will rule! >I propose we add the following to the errata: >3.1 When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup rather than >images to convey information. [Priority 2] For example, use MathML to mark >up mathematical equations, and style sheets to format text and control >layout. Also, avoid using images to represent text -- use text and style >sheets instead -- except for logos and stylized navigation buttons used to >create a distinctive look to a site. > >Thoughts? >--wendy Wendy, I agree with others that if MathML isn't supported in IE or N, it isn't a good example. The goal of accessibility is to connect the disabled user and the web, not to enter web politics. Further, referring to "word art" or "buttons" as "images to convey information" seems to exclude the use of graphics to convey information... yet that is the purpose of putting graphics on a page, is to convey some information (mood, my mums last fall since this year's didn't turn out as good, seasons, celebrations, delight, etc.) Last week I shared a print out of the guidelines with another special ed teacher .... she read, and kept re-reading them, and said she sorta got an idea what they were trying to say, but why did they use so many and such big words to say it???? She pointed out Guideline 3.6 and suggested the Guidelines didn't comply with themselves! ... <grin> Why not use the term "text as images" from the discussions to avoid a confusion to the reader between "text as images" and "images that convey information"? Anne Anne L. Pemberton http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Pav/Academy1 http://www.erols.com/stevepem/Homeschooling apembert@crosslink.net Enabling Support Foundation http://www.enabling.org
Received on Monday, 16 October 2000 20:32:10 UTC