Align Behavior of Alt Text when the Associated Image is Unpublished

[froye001]

Currently, when an image is unpublished, Canvas displays a padlock icon in its place but still provides the alt text associated with the unpublished image. For sighted users, the padlock is an unambiguous indicator that the image is intentionally unavailable. Users who rely on alt text as an equivalent to the image would not be able to discern that the image is unpublished.

Depending on context, this could either advantage or disadvantage the user who consumes the alt text. Alt text could potentially give away the answer on a quiz where an image is unpublished. The same user can be disadvantaged by not having an equivalent experience of the sighted user because the image is indistinguishable from images that are not available due to poor connectivity or a bad link.

The proposed idea is to align alt text with its associated image. When it image is unpublished, the alt text would be suppressed and replaced with something like, "image intentionally unpublished."

Instructure Case #06853608

[Stef_retired]

@froye001 

Thank you for sharing this idea, and especially for including the case number. Our accessibility team has reviewed it and has determined that it is a bug, so it doesn't need to go through the Idea Conversations process. The team is in the process of creating an engineering ticket for this issue, and your case will be associated with the engineering ticket, so that you will receive updates on the progress toward resolution.

As this is now in the hands of the accessibility engineers, we've archived this idea.

Thanks again!