RE: my htc to remove uneeded alt text after an image loads.
On Dec 15, 2005, at 12:44 PM, Derek Featherstone wrote:
On 12/15/05, Ben Curtis wrote:
The alt text is removed from the element if the image is loaded.
...
You attach it to the img selector in your css, or a more specific
selector if you don't want all images to be affected.
I can't see why you'd want it to have an effect on any images, to be
honest.
You might have missed my explanation. The alt text popup was
obscuring the more helpful text I was providing. IE's mishandling of
the alt text was the issue.
I would assume that the blind have their browsers set to not load
images. I may be dreadfully wrong in that assumption, but if the
images don't load then this code has no effect and the alt text
remains.
Dreadfully wrong. Well, you said it, not me :-)
"The blind" have just as many varied setups and configurations as "the
unblind."
Sure. Makes sense. But 100% of the half dozen blind people I've
worked with had their browsers set to not load images. I'm sure in
the larger population it's less than 100%, but surely it is most of
this audience?
If you take away alt text, you take away *critical*
information.
Even if you target specific images via CSS selectors, I'd question
whether nor not it should be removed at all. After all - how do you
decide which ones to take away and which ones not to take away?
I take away only the alt text that is useless if the image loads.
This is why I target by CSS selector. In my particular case, there
are two images side by side, the first is the abbreviation for the
second. This way, when you tab to the nav link and the abbreviated
alt text is removed, you get the screen reader saying the full word
instead of the abbreviation.
The fact is that in my tests with CSS on/off, images on/off,
javascript on/off, and visual/audible browsing, removing the alt text
of only the fully loaded images of abbreviations in Windows IE
created the most consistently understandable navigation. Every other
option was stymied by IE's mishandling of the alt text, and led to a
more confusing page.
So I agree with your stance in principle. But if you stand by it
without testing the ramifications on the users, I think it's wasted
effort.
--
Ben Curtis : webwright
bivia : a personal web studio
http://www.bivia.com
v: (818) 507-6613
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