Link with aria-label containing img with no alt Screen reader compatibility

Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers

Actual Result: causes problems in 13 screen reader / browser combinations

For expected failures, the results show which AT combos the failures affect. Results are recorded from the user's viewpoint, so describe the user impact of authoring errors.

For best compatibility with lazy load polyfills and other scripts which hide offscreen images add `aria-label` on the link with `alt=""` on the `img` inside the link. That means offscreen links have accessible names even if the image is hidden, because `alt` on hidden images is ignored by the ARIA Accessible Name Computation.

WCAG Failure: ARIA8

Code used for this test:

		<a href='4567.html' aria-label='this is an aria label'><img src='1234.png'></a>
	

Change History

Last updated: November 26, 2024

• NVDA with Chrome Stable - OK from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2024.4
• NVDA with IE Stable - OK from NVDA 2012.3 to NVDA 2019.2
• NVDA with FF Better - caused problems in NVDA 2012.1, but now OK in NVDA 2024.4
• JAWS with Chrome Stable - OK from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2024.2409.2
• JAWS with IE Causes problems in JAWS 2019.1912.1
• JAWS with FF Better - caused problems in JAWS 2018.1811.2, but now OK in JAWS 2024.2409.2
• VoiceOver macOS Better - caused problems in VoiceOver macOS 10.9, but now OK in VoiceOver macOS 14.6
• VoiceOver iOS Stable - OK from VoiceOver iOS 7.1 to VoiceOver iOS 17.7
• WindowEyes with IE Better - caused problems in WindowEyes 8.4, but now OK in WindowEyes 9.2
• Dolphin with IE OK in Dolphin SR 15.05
• SaToGo with IE Causes problems in SaToGo 3.4.96.0

SortSite rules: AccHtmlLinkTextBlank

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