- Success Criterion 1.1.1
- Conformance level A
Lazy-Loaded Image Whose Alt Text Never Finishes Loading
1.1.1 — Non-text Content
Scenario
Setting
A streaming music app's search results
What’s wrong
Placeholder/lazy-load images whose final alt never populates (JS injects alt late or never).
Example
A streaming music app's search results is a good example: placeholder/lazy-load images whose final alt never populates (JS injects alt late or never).
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 streaming music app's search results, that means they get no equivalent for the sound or picture content.
How to test
Reload the page and immediately check the alt attribute with a screen reader before/after lazy-load completes: if alt is blank until the image fully loads (or never populates), it fails.
How to fix
Render the final alt text with the image markup — not injected late or never.
Outcome
With the fix in place on a streaming music app's search results, they hear or read what the media conveys.
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)
Related scenarios
- Product Photo Added as a CSS Background With No Alt Text
- Chart Alt Text That Never Explains What Each Color Means
- Outdated Alt Text That No Longer Matches the Image
- Alt Text Left as a Filename Instead of a Real Description
- Decorative Image Not Hidden From Screen Reader Users
- Decorative Image Given Alt Text Instead of Being Marked Silent