[vip_students] Supernova on the web:Alternate tags
- From: "Paul Traynor" <paul.traynor@xxxxxxx>
- To: <vip_students@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:49:43 +0100
Alternate tags
The term "alternate tags" or "ALT-Tags" is a phrase commonly used when
gauging a web page’s accessibility. But, what does this term actually mean?
Well, it is possible for graphical images on web pages to contain a hidden
text description and, it is this text description that is known as an
ALT-Tag.
The Dolphin screen reader will announce these alt-tags when the virtual
focus encounters the graphic. This can greatly assist in the understanding
and navigation of web pages but the implementation and descriptiveness of
these tags falls within the domain of the site’s Webmaster.
If you are navigating through this tutorial using virtual focus mode then
here are a few good and bad examples of graphics and alt-tags:
In the picture above you will be told "picture of a dolphin" when the
virtual focus lands on the image. If the image did not contain the alt-tag
text then the virtual focus would have completely ignored the image when
navigating through. This may not always be an error in the web page’s design
as a text description may exist elsewhere on the page.
When a graphic is used as a link then an alt-tag is important. Below are two
graphics with and without alt-tag text. If you are navigating through in
virtual focus mode then see if you can identify the graphical link with the
alt-tag.
Yes, the first link contained the alt-tag "click here to go to dolphin’s
online tutorials" while the second graphical link contained no alt-tag. So,
what was spoken when the virtual focus landed on the image?
Where no alt-tag exists for the graphical link, the Dolphin screen reader
will announce the page the link will take you too. At least, here you have
the opportunity to learn where you might be going!
There is also the possibility to learn where you are going on a link by
using the speak additional foci information hot key. The hot key is LEFT
SHIFT + NUMPAD ZERO (or LEFT SHIFT + F5 when using the Function Key hot key
set). If you move the virtual focus back to the images and press the speak
additional foci information hot key, then the URL will be announced.
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.13/1376 - Release Date: 13/04/2008
13:45
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