img with figcaption Screen reader compatibility

HTML
Dec 12, 2023

Expected Result: works in a screen reader

Actual Result: causes problems in 29 screen reader / browser combinations

Code used for this test:


		<figure>
			<img src='1234.png'>
			<figcaption>Violet, taken on 12/11/2010.</figcaption>
		</figure>
	

Reliability Trend

This graph shows reliability over time for this code in NVDA, JAWS and Voiceover. Other screen readers don't have enough historical data yet to plot trends.

100%80%60%40%20%0%201550%201650%201750%201863%201963%202063%202175%202275%202375%

Change History

Last updated: December 12, 2023

  • Good NVDA with Chrome Stable - OK from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2023.3
  • Good NVDA with IE Stable - OK from NVDA 2014.1 to NVDA 2019.2
  • Good NVDA with FF Stable - OK from NVDA 2014.1 to NVDA 2023.3
  • Better JAWS with Chrome Better - caused problems in JAWS 2020.2008.24, but now OK in JAWS 2023.2311.34
  • Good JAWS with IE Stable - OK from JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
  • Better JAWS with FF Better - caused problems in JAWS 18.0.5038, but now OK in JAWS 2023.2311.34
  • Bad VoiceOver macOS Causes problems from VoiceOver macOS 10.9 to VoiceOver macOS 13.6
  • Bad VoiceOver iOS Causes problems from VoiceOver iOS 7.1 to VoiceOver iOS 16.6
  • Good WindowEyes with IE Stable - OK from WindowEyes 8.4 to WindowEyes 9.2
  • Good Dolphin with IE OK in Dolphin SR 15.05
  • Good SaToGo with IE OK in SaToGo 3.4.96.0
Screen readerBrowserModeNotesWhat the user hears
OK NVDA 2023.3Chrome 120 Reading Has details caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010.
OK NVDA 2023.3FF 115 Reading Figure caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Out of figure.
OK NVDA 2023.3Edge 120 Reading Has details caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010.
OK NVDA 2022.2Chrome 105 Reading Has details caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010.
OK NVDA 2022.2FF 102 Reading Figure caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Out of figure.
OK NVDA 2022.2Edge 105 Reading Has details caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010.
OK NVDA 2021.2Chrome 94 Reading Grouping caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Out of grouping.
OK NVDA 2021.2FF 91 Reading Figure caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Out of figure.
OK NVDA 2021.2Edge 94 Reading Grouping caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Out of grouping.
OK NVDA 2020.2Chrome 86 Reading Figure caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Out of figure.
OK NVDA 2020.2FF 78 Reading Figure caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Out of figure.
OK NVDA 2020.2Edge 92 Reading Figure caption, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Out of figure.
OK NVDA 2019.2Chrome 79 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2019.2FF 68 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2019.2IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2018.4Chrome 73 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2018.4FF 60 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2018.4IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2017.3FF 60 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2017.3IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2016.2FF 48 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2016.2IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2015.2FF 40 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2015.2IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2014.1FF 28 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK NVDA 2014.1IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK JAWS 2023.2311.34Chrome 120 Reading Has details, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010.
OK JAWS 2023.2311.34FF 115 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure end.
OK JAWS 2023.2311.34Edge 120 Reading Has details, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010.
OK JAWS 2022.2207.25Chrome 105 Reading Entering details, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, has details.
OK JAWS 2022.2207.25FF 102 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure end.
OK JAWS 2022.2207.25Edge 105 Reading Entering details, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, has details.
OK JAWS 2021.2107.12Chrome 94 Reading Group start, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Group end.
OK JAWS 2021.2107.12FF 91 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure end.
OK JAWS 2021.2107.12Edge 94 Reading Group start, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Group end.
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24Chrome 86 Reading Caption not read, and image ignored.
OK JAWS 2020.2008.24FF 78 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure end.
OK JAWS 2020.2008.24Edge 92 Reading Group start, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Group end.
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1Chrome 79 Reading Caption not read, and image ignored.
OK JAWS 2019.1912.1FF 68 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure end.
OK JAWS 2019.1912.1IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2Chrome 73 Reading Caption not read, and image ignored.
OK JAWS 2018.1811.2FF 60 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure end.
OK JAWS 2018.1811.2IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail JAWS 18.0.5038FF 52 Reading Caption not read, and image ignored.
OK JAWS 18.0.5038IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail JAWS 17.0.2619FF 48 Reading Caption not read, and image ignored.
OK JAWS 17.0.2619IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail JAWS 16.0.4350FF 40 Reading Caption read twice Group start, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Group end.
OK JAWS 16.0.4350IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail JAWS 15.0.9023FF 29 Reading Caption read twice Group start, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK JAWS 15.0.9023IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail JAWS 14.0.9002FF 29 Reading Caption read twice Group start, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK JAWS 14.0.9002IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail JAWS 13.0.852FF 29 Reading Caption read twice Group start, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK JAWS 13.0.852IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK WindowEyes 9.2IE11 Reading Figure Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
OK WindowEyes 8.4IE11 Reading Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail VoiceOver macOS 13.6Safari 16.6 Reading Reads out meaningless filename and FIGCAPTION. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. End of, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure.
Fail VoiceOver macOS 12.5Safari 15.6 Reading Reads out meaningless filename and FIGCAPTION. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. End of, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure.
Fail VoiceOver macOS 11.5Safari 15.0 Reading Reads out meaningless filename and FIGCAPTION. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. End of, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure.
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.15Safari 14.1 Reading Reads out meaningless filename and FIGCAPTION. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. End of, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure.
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.14Safari 13.0 Reading Reads out meaningless filename and FIGCAPTION. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. End of, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure.
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.13Safari 12.1 Reading Reads out meaningless filename and FIGCAPTION. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010. End of, Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure.
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.12Safari 10.1.2 Reading Reads out meaningless filename and FIGCAPTION. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010, figure, with 2 items. One two three four PNG, image.
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.11Safari 9.1.2 Reading Reads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One two three four PNG image. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.10Safari 8.0.6 Reading Reads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One two three four PNG image. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.9Safari 7.0.3 Reading Reads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One two three four PNG image. Violet, taken on 12/11/2010
Fail VoiceOver iOS 16.6Safari iOS 16.6TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image, test image. Violet, taken on twelve slash eleven slash two thousand and ten.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 15.6Safari iOS 15.6TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on twelve slash eleven slash two thousand and ten.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 14.7Safari iOS 14.7TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on twelve slash eleven slash two thousand and ten.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 13.3Safari iOS 13.3TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on twelve slash eleven slash two thousand and ten.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 12.4Safari iOS 12.4TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on twelve slash eleven slash two thousand and ten.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 11.4Safari iOS 11.4TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on twelve slash eleven slash two thousand and ten.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 10.3Safari iOS 10.3TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image. Violet, taken on twelve slash eleven slash two thousand and ten.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 9.1Safari iOS 9.1TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image, Violet, taken on twelve slash eleven slash two thousand and ten.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 8.4Safari iOS 8.4TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image, Violet, taken on twelve slash eleven slash two thousand and ten.
Fail VoiceOver iOS 7.1Safari iOS 7.1TouchReads out meaningless filename, then FIGCAPTION. One thousand, two hundred and thirty four PNG, image, Violet, taken on twelve, eleven, twenty ten.
OK Dolphin SR 15.05IE11 Reading Violet, taken on twelve, eleven, two thousand and ten.
OK SaToGo 3.4.96.0IE11 Reading Violet, taken on twelve, eleven, twenty ten.

SortSite rules: AccHtmlImgAltFilename AccHtmlImgNoAlt

Test notes

All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.

Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:

  • Reading Content read using the “read next” command in a screen reader
  • Tabbing Content read using the “tab” key in a screen reader
  • Heading Content read using the “next heading” key in a screen reader
  • Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device

In the “What the user hears” column:

  • Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
  • Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the “read next” or “tab” or “next heading” command is pressed again
  • Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
  • (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear