Accessible Image Descriptions: Enhancing User Experience for WCAG 2.2 Compliance

Understanding Image Accessibility

Images are a fundamental element of web design, serving to enhance user engagement and convey information. However, without appropriate accessibility features, images can pose significant barriers to users with disabilities, particularly those relying on screen readers. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 emphasize the importance of providing text alternatives for non-text content, including images, to ensure that all users have equal access to information.

Why Image Descriptions Matter

Providing descriptive text for images is crucial as it allows screen reader users to understand the content and context of visual media. In WCAG 2.2, the success criterion 1.1.1 outlines the necessity of alternative text for non-text content, ensuring that information conveyed through images is also available to users who cannot see them.

Implementing Accessible Image Descriptions

When implementing image descriptions, there are different methods depending on the purpose of the image. Below are best practices for using the <img> element with appropriate alt attributes:

Decorative Images

Decorative images that do not convey information should have an empty alt attribute to ensure they are ignored by screen readers:

<img src="decorative-image.jpg" alt="" />

Informative Images

For images that convey information, use a descriptive alt text that captures the essence of the image:

<img src="chart.jpg" alt="Bar chart showing sales growth over the last quarter" />

Complex Images

Complex images, such as infographics or diagrams, may require longer descriptions. In such cases, you can use a combination of alt text and a link to a detailed description:

<img src="infographic.jpg" alt="Infographic showing the process of photosynthesis" aria-describedby="infographic-description" />
<div id="infographic-description">This infographic illustrates the process of photosynthesis, including light absorption, water and carbon dioxide conversion, and oxygen release.</div>

How to Remediate Images with WP ADA Compliance Check

Manually reviewing each image for compliance can be tedious, especially on large websites. The WP ADA Compliance Check Plugin provides an automated solution for identifying missing or inadequately described images. By running a full site audit, the plugin highlights images that lack proper alt text or have other accessibility issues.

Automated Remediation

The plugin evaluates your database content against 83 thorough accessibility checks and automatically corrects 42 distinct error types. During deep site scans, it uncovers hidden errors and highlights the exact location of the issue, saving developers from manually hunting through the raw HTML editor.

Enforcing Pre-Publishing Safeguards

To ensure that new content modifications don’t break compliance, the plugin features robust Pre-Publishing Controls. If an editor tries to publish a page containing web accessibility errors, the plugin alerts the user or restricts publication. This content safeguard forces correction at the workflow source before the page goes live.

Getting Started

If you are not sure where to begin with web accessibility, start by using the WP ADA Compliance Check Free Web Accessibility Scanner to run a scan of your website. For a more integrated solution, WordPress website owners should also try the free WP ADA Compliance Check Basic plugin to automatically audit posts and pages for common compliance issues right from their dashboard.