[accessibleimage] Re: SVG maps

Dave Poehlman wrote:
"I'd heard that smart vector graphics are not currently accessible to screen readers."

True, Scaleable Vector Graphics are generally not accessible, at least not for the entirety of the diagramatical content. If the images were rendered appropriately, say using GDI under Windows and the document contained focusable elements, then it may be possible to make the text contained within the diagrams accessible.

However, there is no valid reason why the screen reader vendors cannot make diagrams accessible, including Scaleable Vector Graphics. It does require a different mental set to the one in which they currently find themselves in, as making diagrams accessible does not involve screen scraping or DOM's, but it can be done, and it's an area in which I've researched in the past. Thinking about the world in a conceptual manner, it could be argued that the world is just an image, as, after all, sight is just the ability to recieve images. Therefore, making diagrams accessible could lead to screen readers that can provide access to almost anything. Of course, this breaks the requirement for annual upgrades in order to have a screen reader that works with the latest applications, and is one reason why we've likely not seen the screen reader vendors make much progress in this area. So, next time someone from Freedom Scientific tells you that they cannot make diagrams accessible, don't believe them.

Will


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