The objective of this technique is to provide a long text alternative that serves the same purpose and presents the same information as the original non-text content when a short text alternative is insufficient.
Combined with the short text alternative, the long description should be able to substitute for the non-text content. The short alternative identifies the non-text content; the long alternative provides the information.
If the non-text content were removed from the page and substituted with short and long descriptions, the page would still provide the same function and information.
In deciding what should be in the text alternatives, the following questions are helpful.
- Why is this non-text content here?
- What information is it presenting?
- What purpose does it fulfill?
- If I could not use the non-text content, what words would I use to convey the same function and/or information?
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