ISSUE-30: Need better clarity on (cascading) alt requirements under 2.4.4 and 1.1.1 of linked images

anchor alt vs. ing alt

Need better clarity on (cascading) alt requirements under 2.4.4 and 1.1.1 of linked images

State:
OPEN
Product:
HTML & ARIA Techniques TF
Raised by:
David MacDonald
Opened on:
2014-07-07
Description:
Suggest a discussion about overlap of requirements for images used as links in anchors which have to have alt text which meets 2.4.4 (and perhaps 1.1.1) vs alt for static images. These days most images are linked and there are many questions about the overlap between their requirements under 2.4.4 and there requirements under 1.1.1

For instance, a linked image with an advertisement which is a photo along with some PhotoShop text on an insurance product... It needs to include the link destination, but does it also require the text that is in the ad, which is what we would require under 1.1.1? If so how much, in what priority... Equivalent purpose 1.1.1 vs link purpose 2.4.4

I've heard an array of opinions on this type of thing, from minimalists who would just give it
alt="Family Life Insurance",
describing the linked product... to those who require all of the text in the image to be repeated in the alt ...
alt="Family Life Insurance, your best years are yet to come. Photo of husband, wife and two kids playing in yard."

and to describe the photo of the family along with the link destination even though it is not key in understanding the link destination. (Equivalent Purpose seems murky)...I would be glad for us to have a best practice... perhaps in association with Steve's alt text guidance for html5.
Related Actions Items:
No related actions
Related emails:
  1. Re: Cleaning up working branches (from cooper@w3.org on 2017-08-28)
  2. Re: Combining the two.... Re: Do we like this better? - was way to move forward with plain language (from lisa.seeman@zoho.com on 2017-05-23)
  3. Re: Combining the two.... Re: Do we like this better? - was way to move forward with plain language (from john.foliot@deque.com on 2017-05-23)
  4. Re: language step by step: - was Re: might be last option for plain language (from john.foliot@deque.com on 2017-05-22)
  5. language step by step: - was Re: might be last option for plain language (from lisa.seeman@zoho.com on 2017-05-21)
  6. Re: might be last option for plain language (from john.foliot@deque.com on 2017-05-18)
  7. Re: WCAG-ISSUE-30 (anchor alt vs. ing alt): Need better clarity on (cascading) alt requirements under 2.4.4 and 1.1.1 of linked images [HTML & ARIA Techniques TF] (from sailesh.panchang@deque.com on 2014-07-08)
  8. WCAG-ISSUE-30 (anchor alt vs. ing alt): Need better clarity on (cascading) alt requirements under 2.4.4 and 1.1.1 of linked images [HTML & ARIA Techniques TF] (from sysbot+tracker@w3.org on 2014-07-07)

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Alastair Campbell <acampbell@nomensa.com>, Rachael Bradley Montgomery <rmontgomery@loc.gov>, Charles Adams <charles.adams@oracle.com>, Chairs, Michael Cooper <cooper@w3.org>, Ruoxi Ran <ran@w3.org>, Staff Contacts
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