required attribute "ALT" not specified .

[Neredbojias]

A few months ago a woman, who appeared very well
qualified, was selected to head the leading university for deaf people
in the US. She apparently could use and understand sign language very
well. However she was not deaf. Many of the students did not think a
non-deaf person could be qualified, no matter what other
qualifications were. There were large student demonstrations. In the
end someone else was given the job. I repeat this story here not to
argue the merits of it pro or con. I am just pointing out that if you
are writing a web site likely to be used by large numbers of disabled,
it is best not to assume that they do not need something.

If that's the whole story...

their attitude is understandable. I certainly wouldn't want a deaf person
heading any university _I_ attended. Hell, how would the guy hear me when
I went in to complain about my grades?

(The interesting thing about reverse discrimination is it's still
discrimination. Those deaf people were wrong, dead wrong - all of them.
....If that's the whole story.)

 

[dorayme]

I certainly wouldn't want a deaf person
heading any university _I_ attended. Hell, how would the guy hear me when
I went in to complain about my grades?

Yeah, what a pity, all your loudness would be wasted on him? But
think positively, he would still understand you and be able to
spank you badly for your attitude, you then could get back to
your favourite subject: your lower parts.

 

[Bergamot]

Since the alt text is often needed by the disabled, it sometimes pays
to include it for absolutely all images, even those serving for
nonessential pure decoration, even if using alt="" many be quite legal

What do you base this statement on? Do you have a reference from a
reputable agency that concurs?

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

A few months ago a woman, who appeared very well
qualified, was selected to head the leading university for deaf people
in the US. She apparently could use and understand sign language very
well. However she was not deaf. Many of the students did not think a
non-deaf person could be qualified, no matter what other
qualifications were. There were large student demonstrations. In the
end someone else was given the job. I repeat this story here not to
argue the merits of it pro or con.

While the events happened much as you say, I believe your timing is a
little out. Try a few *years*. The revolt at Gallaudet University
demanding a deaf president occured in 1988, if Wikipedia is correct, and
assuming that's the one you are talking about. That's a "few years" to
old folks like me.

There was a more recent one in 2006, but the issue was that the *deaf*
president does not sign well enough.

Other references seem to agree with Wikipedia. See for instance
http://pr.gallaudet.edu/dpn/index3.html

 

[Ed Mullen]

While the events happened much as you say, I believe your timing is a
little out. Try a few *years*. The revolt at Gallaudet University
demanding a deaf president occured in 1988, if Wikipedia is correct, and
assuming that's the one you are talking about. That's a "few years" to
old folks like me.

There was a more recent one in 2006, but the issue was that the *deaf*
president does not sign well enough.

Other references seem to agree with Wikipedia. See for instance
http://pr.gallaudet.edu/dpn/index3.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194669,00.html

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194669,00.html

As I read that story it doesn't say she is not deaf.

 

[Ed Mullen]

As I read that story it doesn't say she is not deaf.

To quote from the article (with emphasis added):

Fernandes, who was selected by the board of trustees last week and is
scheduled to take office next January, *was born deaf* but grew up
speaking and did not learn American Sign Language until she was 23. Sign
language is the preferred way of communicating at 1,900-student Gallaudet.

 

[dorayme]

You can also leave it out altogether. What are the bad
consequences beyond failing validation because of it?

You've obviously never looked at such a page in a text browser such
as Lynx.[/QUOTE]

Looks like I better revisit the business of decorative images and
alt="" for text only browsers. For odd reasons there has been
trouble on my machine installing and using Lynx. But I will
redouble efforts now and also want to actually hear various
screen readers, also something I have not had an easy run finding
to run on my set up.

I want to see and hear something like this url to gather data:

<http://tinyurl.com/34z6kf>

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

To quote from the article (with emphasis added):

Fernandes, who was selected by the board of trustees last week and is
scheduled to take office next January, *was born deaf* but grew up
speaking and did not learn American Sign Language until she was 23. Sign
language is the preferred way of communicating at 1,900-student Gallaudet.

That's what I read, and it doesn't say she is not currently deaf. Lots
of deaf folks grow up speaking without ever regaining their hearing.
Some go deaf after learning to speak and still keep speadking. In fact
the complaint that she is not "deaf enough" implies strongly to me that
she is deaf to some extent at least.

 

[Ed Mullen]

That's what I read, and it doesn't say she is not currently deaf. Lots
of deaf folks grow up speaking without ever regaining their hearing.
Some go deaf after learning to speak and still keep speadking. In fact
the complaint that she is not "deaf enough" implies strongly to me that
she is deaf to some extent at least.

She was born deaf, she IS deaf. She didn't learn American Sign Language
until she was in her 20s. That fact, and charges by students of her
being "autocratic" led them to charge that she is "not deaf enough" and
to the protests and her ouster.

 

[Ed Mullen]

She was born deaf, she IS deaf. She didn't learn American Sign Language
until she was in her 20s. That fact, and charges by students of her
being "autocratic" led them to charge that she is "not deaf enough" and
to the protests and her ouster.

And I forgot to mention that her husband and children can hear. More
ammunition for the "not deaf enough" charge.

 

[cwdjrxyz]

You've obviously never looked at such a page in a text browser such
as Lynx.

Looks like I better revisit the business of decorative images and
alt="" for text only browsers. For odd reasons there has been
trouble on my machine installing and using Lynx. But I will
redouble efforts now and also want to actually hear various
screen readers, also something I have not had an easy run finding
to run on my set up.[/QUOTE]

If you go to http://www.totalvalidator.com/validator/ValidatorForm you
can get a screen shot of your page on several OS/browser combinations.
The Lynx 2.8 browser is available for both Windows and Linux OSs. It
apparently also is available for MAC users who will buy the pro
desktop tool. Perhaps they think those who own expensive Mac computers
can well afford to pay something . I have had fairly good results
with Opera's voice command/reader feature. It will even do sex
changes. You can convert a page written by a man to a woman's voice.

 

[cwdjrxyz]

If you go tohttp://www.totalvalidator.com/validator/ValidatorFormyou
can get a screen shot of your page on several OS/browser combinations.
The Lynx 2.8 browser is available for both Windows and Linux OSs. It
apparently also is available for MAC users who will buy the pro
desktop tool. Perhaps they think those who own expensive Mac computers
can well afford to pay something . I have had fairly good results
with Opera's voice command/reader feature. It will even do sex
changes. You can convert a page written by a man to a woman's voice.

Go to http://www.cwdjr.info/wine/williams.php to hear a recording of
Opera reading a portion of the FAQ of alt.food.wine. You will need a
Real player to hear this. The reader has a bit of trouble with some
non-English words, but usually not enough to cause serious trouble.
The sound is rather mechanical. This was recorded a few versions of
Opera back, so the sound may have been improved in recent versions.

 

[Jukka K. Korpela]

Scripsit cwdjrxyz:

Go to http://www.cwdjr.info/wine/williams.php to hear a recording of
Opera reading a portion of the FAQ of alt.food.wine.

That should make it relatively clear that "go button" links (and hence
alt="go button" in img tags) are idiotic.

But as I mentioned, using a speech-based browsers in Links Reading mode is
even more eloquent.

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

She was born deaf, she IS deaf. She didn't learn American Sign Language
until she was in her 20s. That fact, and charges by students of her
being "autocratic" led them to charge that she is "not deaf enough" and
to the protests and her ouster.

That's how it struck me when reading the story. That's why this
particular case is not, it seems to me, what the OP was referring to.
There was a "Student Revolt" at Gallaudet where the complaint was that
the new president was not deaf at all. The OP seemed to be conflating
the two, which was why I commented.

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

And I forgot to mention that her husband and children can hear. More
ammunition for the "not deaf enough" charge.

I was making no comment, one way or the other, on the merits or demerits
of their case. I was merely pointing out that the reference to the
incident seemed to be conflating two or more incidents. As to whether
they are "right" or "wrong" to protest I have an opinion, but I am not
coming down on either side here and I decline to state it.

 

[Neredbojias]

Yeah, what a pity, all your loudness would be wasted on him? But
think positively, he would still understand you and be able to
spank you badly for your attitude, you then could get back to
your favourite subject: your lower parts.

Hah hah hah! Okay, let's compromise. I'll try to be less reactive to
idiotic statements if you try to be less schizophrenic when you fail to
understand simple logic. Also, Sydney's a bit too close to America for
comfort; move to Perth.

 

[dorayme]

Scripsit cwdjrxyz:


That should make it relatively clear that "go button" links (and hence
alt="go button" in img tags) are idiotic.

But as I mentioned, using a speech-based browsers in Links Reading mode is
even more eloquent.

I am keeping a really low profile on all this stuff for the
moment. My Magnum Opus on alt text is still to come.

In the meantime, please, everyone, you will have to make do with:

http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/html/alt.html

(It's ok, you won't go far wrong if you study this link, it is
very good. For the finer points, please just wait and don't be
impatient. I am a little busy at the moment).

 

[dorayme]

As to whether
they are "right" or "wrong" to protest I have an opinion, but I am not
coming down on either side here and I decline to state it.

Why be so coy Ed? After all, you have come this far!

 

[dorayme]

Hah hah hah! Okay, let's compromise. I'll try to be less reactive to
idiotic statements if you try to be less schizophrenic when you fail to
understand simple logic. Also, Sydney's a bit too close to America for
comfort; move to Perth.

In _our_ little exchanges, what is the simple logic I fail to
understand? It is a big thing for me to move and you need to
explain this deal better.