• Success Criterion 3.2.4
  • Conformance level AA

Same Download Feature Announced With Different Alt Text

3.2.4 — Consistent Identification

Scenario

Setting

A podcast app's episode list

What’s wrong

Same PDF-download component with alt "PDF" vs "Download document" across pages.

Example 

<!-- Episode list -->
<img src="pdf-icon.svg" alt="PDF">

<!-- Episode detail page -->
<img src="pdf-icon.svg" alt="Download document">

Why it matters

The same transcript-download icon is announced as just PDF in the list and Download document on the detail page, so a listener can't tell at a glance it's the same downloadable transcript.

How to test

Compare a PDF download component's accessible name/alt across pages: 'PDF' in one place and 'Download document' in another for the same component fails.

How to fix

Give the same reusable icon component a single alt text value, defined once and used everywhere it appears.

<!-- Both locations -->
<img src="pdf-icon.svg" alt="Download transcript (PDF)">

Outcome

A listener recognizes the transcript download icon by the same wording on every episode.

Who is affected

Screen reader users skimming multiple episodes for a downloadable transcript get two different-sounding results for one identical feature.

Learn more

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