[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #34635: WordPress image's title is not alt

[WordPress Trac]

#34635: WordPress image's title is not alt
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 Reporter:  odie2              |      Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)       |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal             |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Media              |    Version:  4.3.1
 Severity:  normal             |   Keywords:
  Focuses:  ui, accessibility  |
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 Hi,

 With latest update of Tiled Galleries in Jetpack I found an
 ''significant'' issue on accessibility with images in WordPress.

 First, why WordPress use image's title as alt? It's not the same, but
 Insert Media (attachment 1) and Edit Media (attachment 2) in modal view in
 visual editor just don't care.

 Title is http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_title.asp,
 Alt is http://www.w3schools.com/tags/att_img_alt.asp.

 ---

 Second, most of images are P1040480.jpg and DSC06635.jpg, so what sense
 makes to set alt="DSC06635.jpg" to make noise for screen readers?
 In most of galleries (like my - even up to 200 random photos of past
 event) if Editor didn't described photos, it's better to leave empty alt
 tag (as could be deduced from as we can read on
 http://accessibility.psu.edu/images/imageshtml/) as system can't provide
 any alternative info if human didn't provided it.

 ---

 Attachment 3 and 4.

 Omitting that's Tiled Gallery, let's analyze it like normal gallery or
 some single images inserted. As we can see, image source (src tag)
 couldn't be loaded, so attachment 3 with empty alt tag displays empty
 image space, in attachment 4 there is alt attribute set, however it's
 automatical title of image taken by camera.

 For screen readers and search engines the attachment 3 is much better. Of
 course you can say that attachment 4 is better for non-disabled humans,
 BUT realize that destination of photos on attachments is just gallery (in
 this case 77 random photos, not described, because Editor ignorance [I am
 only Administrator, not Editor]). In this case the screen readers and
 search engines experience is much more valuable as it's better for them to
 have nothing instead of noise.

 ---

 If you follow my thinking you can say: "OK, but what with Editors
 habits?".
 I have following suggestion - force setting alt rather than title with
 uploading Media. The title field is just designed for title attribute, but
 attachment 1 and 2 shows that someone missed that concept. Alternative we
 can make option in Media settings to choose behaviour. Or maybe you, Dear
 reader have any better ideas?

 In fact most of photos are from camera and without changed names, so this
 is important.
 In times when more and more goverments parts and institutions (at least in
 Poland) decide to use WordPress for their websites and they have to match
 WCAG 2.0 requirements on certain A(AA) level, and also it have big impact
 on normal sites, we should solve this issue as fast as we can.

 Greetings

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/34635>
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