Image Links Requirement

Overview

When images are used as the content of a link, the text equivalent should identify the destination of the link; this will ensure that the users without visual access to images can access and understand the function of the link represented by the image.

Benefit to People with Disabilities

1. Understand the target of a link within a web resource.

Benefits to All Users

1. Link text that indicates the target of the link make it easier for all users to navigate hyper links.
2. Improved search results.

Benefits to Developers

1. Using link text that indicates the target of a link makes it easier to find and update links on web resources.
2. Search engines have more accurate information on the content of the link for generating search results.

Related Resources

1. W3C WCAG 1.0 link techniques

HTML Markup Details

alt attribute

alt attribute should identify the destination of the link, and not try to describe the visual graphics of the image associated with the link.

Note: When redundant text link of an image link is available, the content of the alt attribute of the image should be null (alt="").

Related Accessibility Requirements

Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Standards

4.1 - Provide appropriate "alternate text" for all images.

9.1 - Ensure that links are understandable out of context.

Section 508

1194.22 (a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).

W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0

1.1.1 Non-text Content

2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)

2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only)

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 1.0)

1.1 Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content) [Priority 1].