WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Is using aria-label to add alternative text - but no alt attribute still a WCAG fail?

for

From: Mark Magennis
Date: Aug 23, 2024 3:49AM

It's not a WCAG fail. It doesn't fail SC 1.1.1 Non-text Content if the aria-label provides a text alternative because that's all the SC requires. Is there any other SC you think it might fail?

Mark

From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > on behalf of Jim Byrne Accessible Web Design < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Sent: Friday 23 August 2024 10:39
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [WebAIM] Is using aria-label to add alternative text - but no alt attribute still a WCAG fail?

Hi,

I’m auditing a website that has many crucial image that do not have alt attributes. However, they all have aria-label. I see W3C says ‘"The alt attribute continues to be the preferred way to provide alternative text for images” - which is bit vague.

In the past having no alt attribute would have been a fail - on the standards validation test alone. But the validation test is deprecated. So - the missing alt attribute no longer a fail?

The ARIA docs say that Aria-label is designed to add additional information. I.e., not the primary information expected via the alt attribute.

I’m assuming that having no alt attribute on an image is still a fail - even if ARIA is used to provide the alternative text - and specifically using aria-label instead of the alt attribute. Am I correct?

Thanks,
Jim





Multi-award-winning WCAG 2.2 AA Accessibility Auditing and Accessibility Consultant

Web: https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjimbyrne.co.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CMark.Magennis%40skillsoft.com%7C173a3bf1c186404f9c5f08dcc3578f03%7C50361608aa23494da2332fd14d6a03f4%7C0%7C0%7C638600028068587499%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0mMBC9Tg34UpDzuqhhygw7Zfc3a6NskgLNK9TOoFKxY%3D&reserved=0<https://jimbyrne.co.uk/>

Jim Byrne is one of the UK’s most experienced practitioners in the area of accessible digital design.

Jim provided feedback during the development of WCAG 2 (the de facto accessibility guidelines used by governments across the world). He is the author of a number of technical books, training courses and accessibility guides. Jim was a winner of the equal access category of the Global Bangemann Challenge.