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alt

Inaccessible Comics Made Accessible

It bothers me when good comics are not web accessible, which is nearly all the time. This usually means no alternative text. So, I’ve taken a look back at a few great, but inaccessible, comics and supplied the alt text here.

Tweaty

Setting: Female negotiator sitting at table between two male country representatives.
Caption: “So it’s agreed: a 2-state solution, an immediate cessation of hostilities, & you’ll both #followfriday each other.”
How to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you

8 Websites You Need to Stop Building – The Oatmeal

  1. Websites that let me know what my friends are up to.
  2. Websites whose sole purpose is to share things.
  3. Digg and Reddit clones.
  4. Websites with this page. “Sorry, to add a comment you must be logged in!”
  5. Social Media Websites.
  6. The Next Facebook.
  7. Websites with Flash intros.
  8. Web 2.0 Websites.
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expert html5 interview podcast video

Podcast #81: HTML5 and John Foliot

HTML5 is hot. It’s new, powerful, and exciting. But what is it exactly, and how will it make the web more accessible? Dennis discusses these issues and more with web accessibility veteran John Foliot. Topics include background on HTML5, browser support, new form functionality, how Canvas can be accessible, and much more!

Mr. Foliot runs the Stanford Online Accessibility Program. He is an active member of the W3C and is an integral part of the web accessibility community. He writes a blog entitled Unrepentant and you can find John on Twitter.

Download Web Axe Episode 81 (HTML5 and John Foliot)

[transcript of podcast 81]

Mentioned Resources

Other HTML5 Resources

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twitter

Donate to Accessible Twitter

Accessible Twitter needs your help!

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alt flash image law

Walmart’s Poor Alt Text and Use of Flash

Yesterday, Steve Faulkner of The Paciello Group wrote a tweet quoting an alt attribute on the Walmart.com home page. My first reaction was disbelief, frustration, and outrage.

I replied to the tweet, then found the following code (line 2421) which Steve was referencing:

The Walmart.com site includes Flash technology. To avoid interruption of software designed to aid visually-impaired people, please turn off your Flash player.

The message was designed for screen reader users. But just this one line of code is so wrong on so many levels including the following.

  1. A spacer GIF? What is this, 1998? This is a badly outdated and poor practice.
  2. Alt text is too long; I suggest under 15 words. Or, include the text as part of the main page or use some kind of “D” link.
  3. This message was meant to be vital to the user (particularly if blind), and thus should not be stuffed in an ALT attribute.
  4. Many people with visual impairments may not be blind, but have “low vision”, and thus may not use a screen reader. These individuals could use a screen magnifier or simply enlarge text with their browser.
  5. Law: Walmart is a very large corporation providing sale of goods nationally; this means that they are a great “Target” for a lawsuit, excuse the pun! (If you don’t get the joke, read about the NFB vs. Target lawsuit.)
  6. The use of Flash in itself is highly debatable. One can write a book about this point, but basically, Flash requires a proprietary plug-in, usually not developed with accessibility, and is not supported on many modern user agents such as the iPhone/iPad (not to mention many others including text-only browsers).
  7. How does one turn off his Flash player, anyway?

Solutions

Immediate: Provide HTML alternative to content.

Better: Use accessible Flash and provide an HTML alternative to content.

Best: Use HTML only for content. Implement with web standards, progressive enhancement, and DOM scripting, to create the same visual effect as the original Flash. This will not only make your content accessible, but will also make the site lighter and faster and is also good for SEO.

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aria links pdf presentations

Link Roundup – April 2010