Task Force Requesting Feedback to New Accessibility Requirements

Jun 23, 2013

Updates to the current version of the W3C guidelines for including descriptions with images are in the process of being worked out. Some of the newer changes that are being defined are:

  1. Added requirement that the destination of a long description (longdesc) should be ""accessible""
  2. The requirement to present content through the standard User Interface was changed from ""should"" to ""must"" and narrowed to apply only to valid values of longdesc.
  3. The requirement to present content through the Accessibility APIs was changed from ""should"" to ""must"" and narrowed to apply only to valid values of longdesc.
  4. Removed the statement that User Agents may present descriptions which are erroneously included in the content instead of a link.

An abstract of the document is available for review: www.w3.org/TR/2013/WD-html-longdesc-20130606.

The HTML Accessibility Task Force is requesting feedback from the public. After reviewing the working document, people wishing to comment may do so by emailing to:public-html-a11y@w3.org"

Use our free Website Accessibility Checker to scan your site for ADA and WCAG compliance.

Powered By

Recent posts

Why Is WCAG Level AA the Standard for Digital Accessibility?

Mar 6, 2026

Web Accessibility Is Less Rigid Than You Think

Feb 19, 2026

How Interrupting Your Users Can Create Accessibility Concerns

Dec 22, 2025

Not sure where to start?

Start with a free analysis of your website's accessibility.

GET STARTED