Effective description is achieved through a combination of the elements (body, caption, alt text, and long description). Variations A, B, and C demonstrate different ways in which elements may complement each other to achieve effective description. Examples 1 and 2 provide additional demonstrations of effective description.
Variations
Variation A
Body
Figure 10 depicts the umbrella advertisement released by the CSC, which displays a towering urban billboard in the form of a large ransom note. The note’s text—composed of words that appear to have been cut out from a variety of different print sources and pasted hurriedly together—delivers the message, “12 million kids are held hostage by a psychiatric disorder” (New York University, 2007a).
Caption
Fig. 10 Detail of New York University Child Study Center’s (2007) “Ransom Notes” campaign umbrella advertisement. Photograph by Eduardo Trejos. Reprinted with artist’s permission.
Alt text
Photograph of Ransom Notes campaign billboard
Long description
[none]
Variation B
Body
Figure 10 depicts the umbrella advertisement released by the CSC, which displays a towering urban billboard in the form of a large ransom note.
Caption
Fig. 10 Detail of New York University Child Study Center’s (2007) “Ransom Notes” campaign umbrella advertisement. Photograph by Eduardo Trejos. Reprinted with artist’s permission.
Alt text
Photograph of Ransom Notes campaign billboard , viewed from below, which reads “12 million kids are held hostage by a psychiatric disorder.” The text on the billboard appears composed of words and letters cut out from a variety of different print sources and pasted together.
Long description
[none]
Variation C
Body
Figure 10 depicts the umbrella advertisement released by the CSC, which displays a towering urban billboard in the form of a large ransom note. The note’s text—composed of words that appear to have been cut out from a variety of different print sources and pasted hurriedly together—delivers the message, “12 million kids are held hostage by a psychiatric disorder” (New York University, 2007a).
Caption
Fig. 10 Detail of New York University Child Study Center’s (2007) “Ransom Notes” campaign umbrella advertisement. Photograph by Eduardo Trejos. Reprinted with artist’s permission.
Alt text
Photograph of Ransom Notes campaign billboard
Long description
Photograph of billboard that reads, “12 million kids are held hostage by a psychiatric disorder,” in words and letters cut out of print sources and pasted together, as in a ransom note. The billboard is framed diagonally against a blue sky, with a shallow depth of field that blurs part of it. Smaller text on the billboard reads, “Help a child …” then becomes illegible. Billboard is part of New York University Child Study Center’s (2007) “Ransom Notes” campaign.
Analysis of Variations
Variations A, B, and C all achieve sufficient and effective description. Each approach has slightly different implications for readers :
- Variation A has more description in the body text, which is available to all readers.
- Variation B has more description in the alt text, which is available only to readers using assistive technology.
- Variation C has sufficient description in the body, caption, and alt, and provides additional description in the long description, which is available only to readers using assistive technology.
Examples
Example 1
Body
… (see also fig. 4 for a selection of examples of near identical posters written in Urdu, Hindi, Spanish, French, and English from organizations in Pakistan, Argentina, India, Belgium, and the United States).
Caption
Fig. 4 International autism awareness posters. Photograph by Eduardo Trejos, 2011. Reprinted with artist’s permission.
Alt text
Several autism awareness posters from international sources, detail
Long description
This photograph displays a spread of “red flag” autism awareness posters from organizations from around the world, including Pakistan, Argentina, India, Belgium, and the United States. The posters are written in a variety of languages including Czech, Japanese, Urdu, Malay, Hindi, Spanish, French, and English. While each of the posters has minor differences—some depict faceless stick figures, while others have characters with more detail—they all adopt the same format of illustrating autism as a series of observable pathological behaviors. Therefore, despite the differences in language and detail, the posters are almost interchangeable.
Example 2
Body
We have encountered such ‘security measures’ time and again throughout the previous chapters. In contemporary times, the perimeters of normative life are clearly staked out by red flags (e.g., the posters from chapter 2) and systems of early warning (e.g., the CDC-sponsored “Autism A.L.A.R.M.” document in figure 12 that unmistakably resembles a kind of emergency procedures document).
Caption
Fig. 12 American Academy of Pediatrics A.L.A.R.M. document (2008) outlining screening and surveillance procedures for pediatricians. Poster rights belong to American Academy of Pediatrics, 2008. Reprinted with organization’s permission.
Alt text
Autism ALARM, poster
Long description
The text “AUTISM A.L.A.R.M.” appears overtop of a grayscale banner image of two white boys sitting back to back readings books. A.L.A.R.M. is an acronym. It is defined in the text as follows:
A. Autism is prevalent
- 1 out of 6 children are diagnosed with a development disorder and/or behavioral problem
- Approximately 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder
- Developmental disorders have subtle signs and may be easily missed
L. Listen to parents
- Early signs of autism are often present before 18 months
- Parents usually DO have concerns that something is wrong
- Parents generally DO give accurate and quality information
- When parents do not spontaneously raise concerns, ask if they have any
A. Act early
- Make screening and surveillance an important part of your practice (as endorsed by the AAP)
- Know the subtle differences between typical and atypical development
- Learn to recognize red flags
- Use validated screening tools and identify problems early
- Improve the quality of life for children and their families through early and appropriate intervention
R. Refer
- To Early Intervention or a local school program (do not wait for a diagnosis)
- To an autism specialist, or team of specialists, immediately for a definitive diagnosis
- To audiology and rule out a hearing impairment
- To local community resources for help and family support
M. Monitor
- Schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss concerns more thoroughly
- Look for other conditions known to be associated with autism (eg, seizures, GI, sleep, behavior)
- Educate parents and provide them with up-to-date information
- Advocate for families with local early intervention programs, schools, respite care agencies, and insurances companies
- Continue surveillance and watch for additional or late signs of autism and/or other developmental disorders
- Continue to provide a medical home
For more information: www.medicalhomeinfo.org
- Department of Health and Human Services USA
- CDC Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- American Academy of Pediatrics dedicated to the health of all children
- Medical Home Initiatives for children with special needs
The recommendations in this document do not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate.
This project is funded by a cooperative agreement between the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
August 2007
Analysis of Examples
Examples 1 and 2 both achieve sufficient and effective description of posters. Example 1 uses the long description to further the author’s analysis of and argument about several posters: that they are “almost interchangeable” in their depiction of autism, despite linguistic differences. Example 2 uses the long description to reproduce the text of the single poster, giving the reader direct access to its content. Examples 1 and 2 demonstrate points of view that are, respectively, consistent with the publication and potentially reusable in other contexts (eee Basic Principle 3).
Examples reproduced and variations modified from Anne McGuire, War on Autism, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2016. Used with author’s permission. Images reproduced with artist’s permission.