• Success Criterion 1.2.1
  • Conformance level A

Instructional GIF Treated as Decorative Instead of Informative

1.2.1 — Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)

Scenario

Setting

A real-estate marketplace's listing page

What’s wrong

Animated GIF/WebP conveying instructional steps treated as "decorative".

Example 

<img src="/gifs/swipe-floorplan.gif" alt="" role="presentation">

Why it matters

A screen reader user browsing a floor plan never learns that swiping left reveals the kitchen layout, because the instructional GIF is coded as pure decoration.

How to test

Check instructional GIFs/WebPs (showing a sequence of steps) for alt text or a caption: if marked purely decorative despite conveying steps, it fails.

How to fix

A GIF that teaches a specific action is informative content, not decoration, and needs real alt text describing that action.

<img src="/gifs/swipe-floorplan.gif" alt="Swipe left on the floor plan image to see the next room">

Outcome

A screen reader user hears the swipe instruction and browses every room in the floor plan unaided.

Who is affected

Screen reader users and switch-device users relying on announced instructions get nothing, since the GIF's alt text is empty and its steps are never spoken.

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