Re: Alt text for images with callouts

[Char James-Tanny <charjtf -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Hi, Dick :-)

The limitation is coming from the HTML recommendation. (A friend and I are
working on an accessibility initiative at work and he uses a screen reader
much better than I do,  so I'll verify with him tomorrow.)

Char

On Thu, Dec 10, 2020, 7:44 PM <dick -at- rlhamilton -dot- net> wrote:

> Hi Peter,
>
> Good points. I think the solution in this case will be to work on the text
> and leave the image as decorative. The process isnât complex enough to make
> that impractical.
>
> One follow-up. Is the 150 character limitation still important for current
> screen readers? My impression (possibly faulty) was that this was primarily
> for older, and possibly obsolete, readers.
>
> Thanks to you and Char for your insights.
>
> Dick
> -------
> XML Press
> XML for Technical Communicators
> http://xmlpress.net
> hamilton -at- xmlpress -dot- net
>
>
>
> > On Dec 10, 2020, at 12:49, Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net> wrote:
> >
> > Dick,
> > As in most writing situations, you need to guess who your audience are
> and how to address their needs. Here you have to do it in 150 characters or
> fewer. Often it is impossible or unnecessary, and an empty ALT is all you
> ought to provide. If a lengthy explanation is necessary, perhaps it should
> be provided in the text of the document or in a caption.
> >
> > On Thu, 10 Dec 2020 15:35:35 -0500, <dick -at- rlhamilton -dot- net> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Char,
> >>
> >> Thanks. That does make life easier:-).
> >>
> >> I wonder, though, whether thereâs a need to say something if the text
> doesnât clearly show the flow.
> >>
> >> For example:
> >>
> >> Figure:     A â> B â> C
> >>
> >> Text:
> >> A: does something (but doesnât say what comes next)
> >> B: does something else (but doesnât say what comes next)
> >> C: does yet more
> >>
> >> Iâm sure the best thing would be to describe the flow in the text, but
> if it is complex, then the figure might provide information would be hard
> to characterize in the text.
> >>
> >> Any ideas about that case?
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> Dick
> >> -------
> >> XML Press
> >> XML for Technical Communicators
> >> http://xmlpress.net
> >> hamilton -at- xmlpress -dot- net
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Dec 10, 2020, at 12:07, Char James-Tanny <charjtf -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Hi, Dick :-)
> >>>
> >>> If the process shown in the image reproduces what's in the content,
> the image doesn't need any alt text (or you could put something like
> "Graphical representation of the process, with callouts that refer to the
> steps".
> >>>
> >>> (If the text doesn't include the process, then it gets more
> complicated because the alt has a 150-character limit, which isn't enough
> to describe everything.)
> >>>
> >>> Char James-Tanny
> >>>
> >>> On Thu, Dec 10, 2020 at 2:32 PM <dick -at- rlhamilton -dot- net> wrote:
> >>> Does anyone have any advice for creating good alt text for an image
> with callouts?
> >>>
> >>> E.g., an image that shows some kind of process. It has a standard
> block diagram that shows steps in the process, each with a callout number
> that refers to text in the body of the article/book.
> >>>
> >>> Any thoughts on how best to write alt text in that case?
> >>>
> >>> Thanks for your help.
> >>> Richard Hamilton
> >>> -------
> >>> XML Press
> >>> XML for Technical Communicators
> >>> http://xmlpress.net
> >>> hamilton -at- xmlpress -dot- net
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
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