Generalize "description" element for use other places

[rbeezer]

Paul Seeburger suggests an HTML alt tag on interactive elements for accessibility. So generalize and improve existing use (on image) and widen applicability.

[Alex-Jordan]

What is the HTML parent element for these interactives? I believe if you use object elements, then there is no alt attribute. Instead, you would maybe just make the description be a child p. The object has a data attribute that would point to the interactive thing, and when it loads it "covers over" the object's child elements, but they are still there for a screen reader.

I think you may know this because of how svg (used to?) be rendered. And how the warning message was delivered if there was no svg. (But now I am wondering if that warning message was inappropriate for screen reader users...)

[rbeezer]

Generally, they are iframe/@src so no object difficulties, but I have not even investigated if alt is supported on an iframe.

[Alex-Jordan]

It looks like iframe is like object in this way. That is, you would print the description as child content of the iframe.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/iframe

[rbeezer]

Sounds good. Thanks for looking into that.

[Alex-Jordan]

I need to verify this is good for assistive tech users. Making child content serves the original purpose of alt text: show the reader an alternative description while they wait for their dial-up modem connection to download a picture. But I shouldn't assume (as I did above) that the screen reader can still see the child content once the iframe content loads.

[rbeezer]

Right. I understood it that way.