Web Development
Web Developer Guidelines
Visual Design Recommendations

Checkpoint 1.11 - Core

ASCII art (for example, smilies) are marked up using the <abbr> element

WCAG 1.0 Priority 1

WCAG Guideline 1. Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.

All visual representation of HTML characters or letters is lost to non-visual browser users. In addition, the representation of your text by the assistive technology may become indecipherable to unsighted users unless appropriate HTML markup is used.

Requirement

If you must use ASCII art in your document, ensure it is marked up with the <abbr> element with a description of the ASCII art in the title attribute, as in the following example:

<abbr title="smiley in ASCII art">:-)</abbr>

Recommendation

It is recommended that the use of ASCII art is avoided. Where ASCII art is used, provide a means of skipping over the ASCII art using a Skip ASCII Art link [Priority 3]. For further information on this point consult the W3C web site  (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-TECHS/#tech-skip-over-ascii)

Checking Tool

  • Proof read the web page to idenify if ASCII art is used
  • Internet Explorer - AIS toolbar: Structure > Acronyms / Abbreviations
  • Firefox - Web Developer's Toolbar: Information > Display Abbreviations

Information Source

The original source of this information is located on the W3C web site  (www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-TECHS/#tech-text-equivalent)

 

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