I think I may have cut myself short on that last paragraph, but
hopefully you get the idea of what I was attempting to explain :)
I wrote (about 30 secs ago):
Actually, yeah, you are completely correct. The alt text I showed was a
pretty poor choice on my part. Again, I still would not have the alt
text as empty in this case, as it is my impression that the images add
to the surrounding text... where in the text does it say that a
wheelchair is a symbol for accessibility?
I would probably revise the img tag itself to read something like:
<img src="/images/accessibility.jpg" width="100" height="89" alt="The
imagery of a person on a wheelchair is generally considered a symbol for
accessibility" title="An image of a wheelchair: the symbol for
accessibility">
... or at least something along those lines.
I can see why you want to leave the alt empty (or even use css to
deliver the image), but I think it falls down to the context where the
image is placed. If we're some background image for a header, then yes,
css would most likely be the way to go (or empty alt text). But I see
these particular images, not as decoration or background, but as
complimentary examples of imagery associated with the content being
discussed.
For example, if the paragraph was talking about smoking being banned in
public areas (a subject that unfortunately affects me personally), then
if the image was replaced with a no smoking sign, then while the image
wouldn't add to understanding of the text, is does provide a visual
reference to the imagery of the subject, so alt text such as "the common
symbol for no smoking is the cigarette inside a red circle with a line
through it" (or something that effect).
Thanks,
David.
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