Obsoleting longdesc isn't the answer
Sunday, 22 August 2010
A longdesc provides a solution for describing visualizations of content like charts and graphs to the blind when that content is visually apparent and redundant to a sighted person. Adding longdesc text or a link to a page would only add visual clutter for the sighted as a longdesc aim is to be a substitute for the non-text content. However, user agents should (as Opera currently does) natively possess the option to reveal the presence of longdesc to all users. This provides a practical method for developers who want a tool to check longdesc and keep it up to date. It also gives everyone access to longdesc content if they actually are curious. Obsoleting longdesc and telling authors to use visible text links or the full text description in page (neither of which is of use to people who see images) isn't the answer here. So I'll continue using HTML 4 whenever I need longdesc, as HTML5 currently doesn't provide that functionality in a valid feature.
This is a comment on "Longdesc is dead! Long live Longdesc!"