- Success Criterion 1.1.1
- Conformance level A
Meaningful Emoji With No Text Explaining Its Intent
1.1.1 — Non-text Content
Scenario
Setting
A crowdfunding platform's campaign page
What’s wrong
Emojis used as sole content carriers with no accessible name context (screen reader announces literal Unicode name that misleads).
Example
On a crowdfunding platform's campaign page: emojis used as sole content carriers with no accessible name context (screen reader announces literal Unicode name that misleads).
Why it matters
Blind and low-vision people using screen readers, and anyone who browses with images disabled, when icons or photos carry meaning. The practical effect on a crowdfunding platform's campaign page: they can't tell what the image or video is showing.
How to test
Check the alt/aria-label on emoji used to convey meaning (e.g., a warning emoji as a status icon): if there's no text conveying the intended meaning, it fails.
How to fix
Accompany meaning-bearing emojis with text (or aria-label) conveying the intended meaning.
Outcome
That one change on a crowdfunding platform's campaign page means they get the same information as everyone else.
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)
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