Bug 62774

If image dimensions (@width and @height) are specified, the browser renders alternate text within those dimensions. If alternate text does not fit those dimensions, it is cut-off. This can result in loss of information to the reader and affects comprehension. This also does not encourage use of alternate text. To reproduce the problem, render the following markup: <h1>I <img src="heart.gif" alt="love" width="16" height="16" /> you!</h1> Above markup in standards mode: http://html4all.org/staging/a11y-bugs/1002/test1.php Above markup in quirks mode: http://html4all.org/staging/a11y-bugs/1002/test2.php Notice that you cannot read the word "love" because it is cut-off as shown in this screen shot: http://html4all.org/staging/a11y-bugs/1002/safari-bad-alt-render.gif Firefox correctly renders alternate text (not constrained by @width and @height) if page contains a DOCTYPE. While the image is loading, a placeholder (outline) with the @width/@height is rendered. When the image fails to load, alternate text is rendered in place of the image placeholder/outline as shown in the following screen shot: http://html4all.org/staging/a11y-bugs/1002/ff-good-alt-render.gif Test case - image loads after 5 seconds: http://rebuildingtheweb.com/misc/html4all/slow-load-found.asp Test case - image fails to loads after 5 seconds: http://rebuildingtheweb.com/misc/html4all/slow-load-not-found.asp It would be useful to have alternate text displayed as text, rather than text on a graphic. This way, parts of alternate text could be selected, copied and alternate text would wrap. It would also be beneficial to make alternate text participate in Find operation. In order stress the importance of this bug and to assure you that the recommended way of fixing the bug is appropriate, this bug is co-signed by the following accessiblity experts: - Alastair Campbell - Andrew Downie - Denis Boudreau - Everett Zufelt - Jason Kiss - Jim Byrne - John Foliot - Joshue O Connor - Laura Carlson - Leif Halvard Silli - Nigel Peck - Roberto Scano - Roger Johansson - Vlad Alexander This bug report comes from the community led a11y bugs project here: http://html4all.org/staging/a11y-bugs/