Success Criterion 1.1.1
Conformance level A
W3C reference F39

Decorative Image Given Alt Text Instead of Being Marked Silent

1.1.1 — Non-text Content

Scenario

Setting

A fashion e-commerce site's checkout page

What’s wrong

A decorative image is given alt text like 'spacer' or 'image' instead of empty alt — screen readers announce meaningless words.

Example

Here's what happens on a fashion e-commerce site's checkout page: a decorative image is given alt text like 'spacer' or 'image' instead of empty alt — screen readers announce meaningless words.

Why it matters

Blind and low-vision people using screen readers, and anyone who browses with images disabled, when icons or photos carry meaning. On a fashion e-commerce site's checkout page, this barrier means they miss information that's only conveyed visually.

How to test

Listen with a screen reader: if a decorative image announces 'spacer image' or 'graphic' instead of being silently skipped, the alt text is non-null when it should be empty.

How to fix

Use empty alt (alt="") — not words like 'spacer' — on images assistive technology should ignore.

Outcome

Corrected, a fashion e-commerce site's checkout page now lets a visitor understand the image, video, or audio content.

Who is affected

Blind and low-vision people using screen readers, and anyone who browses with images disabled, when icons or photos carry meaning.

Learn more

Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Technique Related technique (opens in a new tab)