[CEUD-ICT] WebAIM Screen reader survey results

[Mark Magennis]

> I was struck by the range of attitudes that the WebAIM survey exposed
> towards just how verbose alt text, especially alt text for links,
> ought to be.

Does the wide range of attitudes toward alt text just reflect the wide  
range of needs and preferences among web users as a whole? I wonder is  
there a specific problem of designing for different screen reader  
users over and above the general problem of designing for different  
web users? Web designers don't usually create different versions of  
their site for beginners and advanced users for example, but both  
audiences need to use the site. Some sites are very crowded and  
complex, more suited to experienced users and difficult to learn for  
beginners. Others are made clean and simple to suit beginners or  
infrequent visitors. Perhaps it's just a case of designers deciding  
which part of the audience they want to favour?

I'm not sure consensus is possible on alt text, any more than  
consensus is possible on the most suitable general design of a web  
site for any diverse audience. As far as alt text is concerned,  
perhaps it's enough just to make sure the parts that everybody would  
agree should be there are there. Taking WebAIM's example, I'm sure  
everybody would agree that the alt text for a photo of the White House  
should include the text "The White House". But whether you add "Photo  
of" is a choice you make knowing that some people will like it and  
some people won't. But that choice is not as important as the choice  
to include "The White House".

> I am somewhat confused by the WebAIM survey outcome as I don't know on
> what basis I am to choose who to serve and who to thwart when
> formulating rules for alt text writing, if that is what has to happen
> in the absence of a known consensus among screen reader users.

I do think this is the boat we find ourselves in Eamon. But happily, I  
also think that the areas where there is less consensus are the less  
important areas. I wonder if anyone can cite examples of where there  
would be widespread fundamental disagreement about an alt text that  
would be considered extremely important.

Mark

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