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Is the long description available to all users?

Goal

Ensure that all users have access to the long description of a complex image, such as a chart or an infographic.

Why this matters

Blind users are not the only people who have trouble interpreting complex images (although to be fair, blind readers have no option to interpret them at all).

People with Cognitive and Neurological Disabilities, sleep deprivation, or who are being distracted, may also benefit from both a visual and a written description of a complex image.

How to implement

Follow the instructions in Does complex imagery that can’t be described in 150 chars have a long description? but do not implement a longdesc attribute. The longdesc attribute does not provide visual access to the long description. (It may not work for screen readers either, so it’s pretty much a bad choice right now all around.)

How to test

  1. Follow the steps to test Does complex imagery that can’t be described in 150 chars have a long description?
  2. Confirm that users can see the long description — it’s not just available to screen readers.