Axe Core Guide
Image buttons must have alternative text
Makes certain that <input type="image"> elements have alternative text.
Screen reader users will not understand the function of a <input type="image"> button unless equivalent wording is provided. Even if the image merely contains text, alternative text is required because a screen reader cannot interpret images of words into output.
Simply typing text adjacent to the form element will not result in a true label. Screen readers, for example, require labels in code that can be determined automatically.
Some screen readers are configured to estimate the label based on the surrounding text, however this method is not foolproof and might cause confusion if the screen reader guesses incorrectly.
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
Ensures that each <input type="image"> has a name that can be found.
Learn more:
Related Accessibility Rules
An image map consists of a single image with numerous clickable sections. Because screen readers cannot translate graphics into text, an image map, like all images, must contain alternative text for each of the distinct clickable parts, as well as for the larger image itself.
In the absence of alternative text, screen readers often announce the image’s filename. Filenames do not accurately describe images and are therefore inconvenient for screen reader users.
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
Ensures that image map area elements have alternative text.
When used in a document, the frame or iframe element’s title attribute must not be empty in order to provide context for users of screen reader software.
Users of screen readers depend on the title of a frame to describe its contents. If the HTML for a frame or iframe element lacks a title attribute, navigating within the element can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience for users of this technology.
Users of screen readers can see a list of the frames on a page and their respective titles. Providing each frame with a distinct, descriptive label facilitates easy navigation. Without titles, it’s easy to get lost trying to jump from one frame to the next. Screen readers will instead provide information like “frame,” “JavaScript,” the filename, or the URL if no title is provided. This data is unlikely to be useful in most situations.
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
Make sure the title attribute of every iframe and frame element is both distinct and not empty.
Each form element must have a label element attached with it programmatically.
Forms must have effective form labels in order to be accessible. Form elements like as checkboxes, radio buttons, input fields, etc. are frequently self-explanatory to sighted users, even if they are not programmatically labeled. Users with screen readers require descriptive form labels to identify form fields. Adding labels to all form elements removes uncertainty and makes the product more accessible.
When form elements lack labels, screen reader users are unaware of the expected data input. Screen readers cannot determine information about input items programmatically in the absence of an established label association (or redundant text functioning as a label).
Since clicking the label activates the control, people with weak motor control do not benefit from a bigger clickable area for the control.
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
Ensures that each form element has a label associated with it programmatically.
When used as links, link text and alternative text for images must be recognizable by screen readers, have no duplicate labels, and be focusable.
- Accessibility is hindered by inaccessible link components, as they are a crucial component of a website.
- Users who traverse a webpage using only the keyboard (and no mouse) can only click on links that can gain programmed emphasis. Inaccessible to these users is any link that cannot gain programmatic focus.
- Similar to sighted people, screen reader users must know where a link leads. This information is provided via inner link text, albeit it will not be utilized if a screen reader cannot access it.
-
Only the links and form components that can get programmatic focus can be activated by keyboard users, including those with visual impairments or those who cannot use a mouse. Keyboard users cannot access events activated only by other sorts of focus, such as
onmouseoverevents that depend on the mouse hover focus. By default, only links and form elements receive keyboard emphasis. Addtabindex="0"to items that are not links or form components to make them focusable.
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
Ensures that each link’s name is accessible.
An image map that is server-side rather than client-side is present in the page.
Server-side image maps can’t be used with a keyboard since mouse clicks are needed to access the links they contain, rendering them unavailable to users who only use keyboards.
The server-side software used to process the image map receives the locations of the mouse click from server side image maps. They are not keyboard accessible since they rely on mouse clicks, although client-side image mappings are. Additionally, unlike the regions of a client-side picture map, actionable areas of a server-side image map cannot be provided with text alternatives.
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
Makes sure that server-side image maps are not used.
Ensures that SVG elements with the roles img, graphics-document or graphics-symbol have a text alternative that is accessible.
In order to make information provided by non-text material (including SVG graphics) accessible, Success Criterion 1.1.1 requires the usage of a text alternative. Because they can be portrayed through any sensory modality (for example, visual, auditory, or tactile) to suit the user’s needs, text alternatives are a fundamental method of making information accessible. By including text alternatives, a wider range of user agents can present the content in different ways.
For instance, a person who is blind can request that the text equivalent of an image be read out using synthetic speech. An audio file’s text alternative can be presented for people who cannot hear it, allowing them to read it. Text alternatives will eventually make it simpler to translate information into sign language or a more basic version of the same language.
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
The algorithm for this rule returns:
-
True if the element has a
<title>code child
<svg id="target"><title>Time II: Party</title></svg>-
True if the
<title>child has text nested in another element.
<svg id="target"><title><g>Time II: Party</g></title></svg>-
False if the element has no
<title>child.
<svg id="target"></svg>-
False if the
<title>child is empty.
<svg id="target"><title></title></svg>-
False if the
<title>is a grandchild.
<svg id="target"><circle><title>Time II: Party</title></circle></svg>-
False if the
<title>child has only whitespace.
<svg id="target"><title> \t\r\n </title></svg>- False if there are multiple titles and the first is empty.
<svg id="target"><title></title><title>Time II: Party</title></svg>
Elements with aria-hidden must not contain focusable elements.
Using the property aria-hidden="true" on an element removes the element and all of its child nodes from the accessibility API, rendering the element fully unavailable to screen readers and other assistive technology.
aria-hidden may be used with extreme discretion to hide visibly displayed content from assistive technologies if the act of hiding this content is meant to enhance the experience of assistive technology users by reducing redundant or superfluous content.
If aria-hidden is employed to hide material from screen readers, the same or equal meaning and functionality must be made available to assistive technologies.
Using aria-hidden="false" on content that is a descendant of an element that is hidden using aria-hidden="true" will not reveal that content to the accessibility API, nor will it be accessible to screen readers or other assistive technology.
The rule applies to any element whose aria-hidden attribute value is true.
By adding aria-hidden="true" to an element, authors assure that assistive technologies will disregard the element.
This can be used to hide aesthetic elements, such as icon typefaces, that are not intended to be read by assistive technologies.
A focusable element with aria-hidden="true" is disregarded as part of the reading order, but is still part of the focus order, making it unclear if it is visible or hidden.
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
For all user interface components, including form elements, links, and script-generated components, the name and role can be identified programmatically; user-specified states, properties, and values can be set programmatically; and user agents, including assistive technologies, are notified of changes.
Ensures every ARIA input field has an accessible name.
This rule ensures that each ARIA input field has a name that is accessible.
There must be accessible names for the following input field roles:
- combobox
- listbox
- searchbox
- slider
- spinbutton
- textbox
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
The names of ARIA input fields must be accessible.
Makes certain that each ARIA toggle field has an accessible name.
Ensures that any element having a semantic role has a name that is easily accessible.
Among the semantic roles are:
- checkbox
- menu
- menuitemcheckbox
- menuitemradio
- radio
- radiogroup
- switch
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
There is an accessible name for ARIA toggle fields.
For screen reader users, buttons must include recognizable text that specifies the destination, purpose, function, or action.
Users of screen readers are unable to determine the function of elements with the roles role="link", role="button", and role="menuitem" that lack an accessible name.
What this Accessibility Rule Checks
Verifies that each button has a distinguishable, accessible label.