1.1.1 Non-text Content Level A

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Conformance Levels

Description

All non-text content that is presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose, except for the situations listed below:

Controls, Input: If non-text content is a control or accepts user input, then it has a name that describes its purpose. (Refer to Guideline 4.1 for additional requirements for controls and content that accepts user input.)

Time-Based Media: If non-text content is time-based media, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content. (Refer to Guideline 1.2 for additional requirements for media.)

Test: If non-text content is a test or exercise that would be invalid if presented in text, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content.

Sensory: If non-text content is primarily intended to create a specific sensory experience, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content.

CAPTCHA: If the purpose of non-text content is to confirm that content is being accessed by a person rather than a computer, then text alternatives that identify and describe the purpose of the non-text content are provided, and alternative forms of CAPTCHA using output modes for different types of sensory perception are provided to accommodate different disabilities.

Decoration, Formatting, Invisible: If non-text content is pure decoration, is used only for visual formatting, or is not presented to users, then it is implemented in a way that it can be ignored by assistive technology.

[View on W3C.org]

Questions & Answers

How do I use decorative images in social media?

I don't want to describe a decorative image. How do I make the attribute empty when using alt text in social media? e.g. I don't want a screen reader to read "Image."

  • alt tags
  • graphics
  • images
  • social media

Images on Ecommerce Site

For ecommerce sites, when should images be coded as meaningful and when should they be coded as decorative?

  • alt tags
  • ecommerce
  • images

How Can I Make a Moving Graphic Accessible?

Our director wants to have an eagle (our logo) fly across the page on our web site. This is a terrible idea but I'd like to know what WCAG 2.0, section 508, and/or usability principles this violates. Any other arguments against this will also be...

  • alt tags
  • flashes
  • graphics
  • images
  • wcag

Can I specify the language of specific parts of my page?

As an example, let's suppose I want to write the following. 'The french word bonjour means hello in english.' My sites language is english, but I would like screen readers to know that 'bonjour' is written in french. Is that something I should even bother...

  • building content
  • translations

Are animated gifs okay to have?

If I have a gif on a site that loops continuously. Is that okay or does it violated the 'can't have repeating flashing stuff' rule?

  • flashes
  • gif
  • images

How to fix incorrect youtube cc and transcript?

I've posted a video on youtube with lots of speaking, and some of the captions that are automatically generated by youtube aren't correct. How can I change them?

  • audio
  • captions
  • translations
  • video
  • youtube