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Understanding and Applying
Section 508 Standards

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Alternate Descriptions for Non-Text Elements:

(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).

Non-text elements include: images, graphical representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations, applets, and programmatic objects, ASCII art, frames, scripts, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds, stand alone audio files, audio tracks of view, and video.

Sample Code:

Image without alternate description:


< img src="../images/wacapp.gif" width="61" height="34">

Image with alternate description:

WAC Approved icon
< img src="../images/wacapp.gif" alt="WAC Approved icon" width="61" height="34">

Put your mouse over each image to see the difference. Alternate descriptions are read by screen-readers and appear when an image is unavailable from the server or when the user chooses to "turn-off" or "hide" images in his/her browser.

Next  Link and graphic of hand pointing to the next page.

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(a) Alternate Descriptions for Non-Text Elements | (b) Synchronization with Multimedia | (c) Use Color for Design, not Context | (d) Using Style Sheets | (e) Server-Side Image Maps | (f) Client-side Image Maps | (g & h) Data Table Headers | (i) Using Frames | (j) Flashing or Flickering Elements | (k) Updating Text-Only Versions | (l) Using Scripts to Create Dynamic Pages | (m) Using Applets and Plug-Ins | (n) Using Online Forms | (o) Skip Navigation Link | (p) Using Time Out Scripts | 508 Checklist | Testing for 508 Compliance |

Return to Start of Section 508 Tutorial

Information in this tutorial adapted from the Section 508 web site: http://www.section508.gov and the Access Board's Guide to the Section 508 Standards for Electronic and Information Technology.