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    Define Images with Appropriate Text Alternatives
    3m 17s

Define Images with Appropriate Text Alternatives

InstructorErin Doyle

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Images must have text alternatives that describe the information or function represented by them so they can be read and understood by those using screen readers.

Alternative text for images

  • All <img> elements should have an alt attribute provided
    • When not provided many screen readers will fallback to reading the file name instead
  • The alt value should not include words like “image”, “picture” or “icon”
    • Screen readers are already announcing that the element is an image
  • Images that are decorative only and provide no information or function to the page should be hidden from Assistive Technologies by providing an empty alt attribute (alt=””)

References

  • https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/
  • https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/
  • https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/tips/
  • https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/informative/
  • https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/functional/
  • https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/textual/