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Subject Author Date
Accessibility of star maps Safalra 05-11-2005
Posted by Safalra on May 11, 2005, 4:10 am
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I'm planning to put some star maps on my website. Each constellation
(above about 40 degrees south) will have a page, starting with a star
map and followed by details of the mjor objects. I'm thinking of making
the star map an image map so visitors can jump down the page to the
appropriate star/nebula.

WAI recommends having extra text links for each link in an image map,
but is there much point in doing that here? Users without images would
be able to skip through a number of <h2>s as quickly as a list of
links, and the purpose of the image map here is that you click on what
you can see in the sky.

Also, should the alt-text of the star map be blank (''), or should I
make some effort to describe the general shape of the constellation
('Lyra is shaped like a kite, with Vega as its tail...')?

--
Safalra (Stephen Morley)
http://www.safalra.com/science/astronomy/


Posted by Andy Dingley on May 11, 2005, 2:44 pm
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>WAI recommends having extra text links for each link in an image map,

If that is sensible. Providing a non-graphic based alternative to the
whole thing is often better.

Assume a "star map" which links to information about particular stars,
where this "information" is itself a whole page and fairly detailed,
Duplicate this list somewhere (on another page) as a simple
text-navigable menu, and link clearly from the graphic page to the menu
page.

--
Cats have nine lives, which is why they rarely post to Usenet.

Posted by Safalra on May 15, 2005, 8:20 am
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Andy Dingley wrote:
> >WAI recommends having extra text links for each link in an image
map,
>
> If that is sensible. Providing a non-graphic based alternative to
the
> whole thing is often better.
> Assume a "star map" which links to information about particular
stars,
> where this "information" is itself a whole page and fairly detailed,
> Duplicate this list somewhere (on another page) as a simple
> text-navigable menu, and link clearly from the graphic page to the
menu
> page.

Will this do?

http://www.safalra.com/astronomy/starmaps/lyra/

(I have uploaded all the index pages yet, so I know about those dead
links...)

--
Safalra (Stephen Morley)
http://www.safalra.com/hypertext/



Posted by Mark Tranchant on May 17, 2005, 9:43 am
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Safalra wrote:
> I'm planning to put some star maps on my website. [...]

> WAI recommends having extra text links for each link in an image map,
> but is there much point in doing that here? [...]
>
> Also, should the alt-text of the star map be blank (''), or should I
> make some effort to describe the general shape of the constellation
> ('Lyra is shaped like a kite, with Vega as its tail...')?

Are there any blind astronomers? I'm as keen as the next person to
provide accessible information, but it seems to me that you would be
adding work for zero benefit to anyone.

--
Mark.
http://tranchant.plus.com/

Posted by Chris Morris on May 17, 2005, 11:59 am
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> Safalra wrote:
> > I'm planning to put some star maps on my website. [...]
>
> > WAI recommends having extra text links for each link in an image map,
> > but is there much point in doing that here? [...]
> > Also, should the alt-text of the star map be blank (''), or should I
> > make some effort to describe the general shape of the constellation
> > ('Lyra is shaped like a kite, with Vega as its tail...')?
>
> Are there any blind astronomers? I'm as keen as the next person to
> provide accessible information, but it seems to me that you would be
> adding work for zero benefit to anyone.

Well, alt-text also has benefits for people using Lynx, etc.

If I didn't want to lose night vision while observing, then listening
to the page rather than looking at it would be a good idea.

--
Chris

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