Inadequate Alternative Text In Image Maps’ Area Elements Check

Description

The “Inadequate Alternative Text In Image Maps’ Area Elements Check” evaluates whether there are <area> elements in image maps that either don’t have the alt attribute, or, have alt="" which provides no description to assistive technologies.

Example outcome

I found 1 <area> element without the alt attribute or with alt=\"\".

Impact

• Visual Impairments: Without alt attributes, screen readers will skip over <area> elements or announce them without context, making navigation impossible.
• Motor Impairments: People with motor impairments may tab to <area> regions without knowing their purpose, disrupting flow and usability.
• Cognitive Disabilities: Users with cognitive disabilities may rely on screen reader output or text-to-speech and will be confused by the lack of descriptive labels for interactive areas.

Fixes

To address inadequate alternative text:

1. Locate the <area> element with inadequate alternative text.
2. Add or rewrite the alternative text attribute to provide a clear and precise description of the image map function.

Resources

• WCAG 2.2: Understanding Success Criteria 1.1.1
• WCAG 2.2 Techniques: Technique F65: Failure of Success Criterion 1.1.1 due to omitting the alt attribute or text alternative on img elements, area elements, and input elements of type “image”
• WebAIM: Alternative Text