testing for section 508 compliance

Alt Attributes :

Visually impaired users are at a disadvanctage when there is a graphical element, such as an image, on a webpage. The Alt Attribute is a text equivilent, atached to an image. You must to use the Alt attribute with every image. Without the alt attribute, a visually impaired user who cannot see the image, has no way to know what the image is. Even if the image is unimportant, such as layout item, like a spacer or a list bullet, an alt attribute is suggested. Without this alt attribute, the user has no way of knowing that the object is unimportant to the content of that page.

University of Arizona Alt attribute Tutorial

WEBAim Tutorial

Coding alt attributes

Click here for examples of coding alt attributes in html

Adding Alt attributes with an HTML editor

Adding alt attribute text works in a similar manner in many html editors. Generally, there is an oppertunity to add alt attributes when the graphic is added to the document.

Dreamweaver:
When you insert an image, the image properties window appears (if the graphic is already on the page,with the properties pallet open, select the graphic). On the properties window, on the right, is a box that says 'Alt". Type the relevent alternate for the graphic in the Alt box.
Alt attributes in Dreamweaver

Word 98
Insert your graphic. Save your document as a Word Document. Save your document as html
Select the graphic. From the toolbar: Format=>picture
A picture pallet appears. Select the Settings tab. In the section labeled Picture Placeholder is a box titled "Text". Type your relevent text into the box.
Click OK
Save your document.
(This may be different in different versions of Word)

FrontPage 2000
Alt attributes using FrontPage 2000

WebCT
alt attributes in WebCT

When an alt attribute is not enough.

[D] attributes are a method of describing a complex graphic. When the text description is too long or complicated to go into an alt attribute, a "D attribute" is used.
The [D] or "Description attribute" is actually a link to a text description of the graphic in question. This attribute generally appears right after the graphic.

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