area
with alt
attribute and img
with null alt
Screen reader compatibility
HTML
Sep 11, 2022
Expected Result: works in a screen reader
Actual Result: causes problems in 3 screen reader / browser combinations
Code used for this test:
<img src='1234.png' alt='' usemap='#area_alt_map3'>
<map id='area_alt_map3' name='area_alt_map3'>
<area alt='this is left alt text' coords='0,0,100,100' href='left_arrow.htm' target='frame1'></area>
<area alt='this is right alt text' coords='200,0,300,100' href='right_arrow.htm' target='frame1'></area>
</map>
Reliability Trend
This graph shows reliability over time for this code in NVDA, JAWS and Voiceover. Other screen readers don't have enough historical data yet to plot trends.
Change History
Last updated: September 11, 2022
NVDA with Chrome Stable - OK from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2
NVDA with IE Causes problems in NVDA 2019.2
NVDA with FF Stable - OK from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2
JAWS with Chrome Stable - OK from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
JAWS with IE Stable - OK from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
JAWS with FF Better - caused problems in JAWS 2018.1811.2, but now OK in JAWS 2022.2207.25
VoiceOver macOS Stable - OK from VoiceOver macOS 10.13 to VoiceOver macOS 12.5
VoiceOver iOS Stable - OK from VoiceOver iOS 11.4 to VoiceOver iOS 15.6
Screen reader | Browser | Mode | Notes | What the user hears |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Chrome 105 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 105 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. | |
![]() | FF102 | Reading | Graphic link, this is left alt text. Graphic link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | FF102 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link graphic. This is right alt text, link graphic. | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. | |
![]() | FF91 | Reading | Graphic link, this is left alt text. Graphic link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | FF91 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link graphic. This is right alt text, link graphic. | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. | |
![]() | FF78 | Reading | Graphic link, this is left alt text. Graphic link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | FF78 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link graphic. This is right alt text, link graphic. | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. | |
![]() | FF68 | Reading | Graphic link, this is left alt text. Graphic link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | FF68 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link graphic. This is right alt text, link graphic. | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Complete silence when tabbing between AREAs. | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. | |
![]() | FF60 | Reading | Graphic link, this is left alt text. Graphic link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | FF60 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, link graphic. This is right alt text, link graphic. | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text, link, this is right alt text | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Complete silence when tabbing between AREAs. | |
![]() | Chrome 105 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 105 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, image map link. This is right alt text, image map link. | |
![]() | FF102 | Reading | Image map link graphic, this is left alt text. Image map link graphic, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | FF102 | Tabbing | Graphic, this is left alt text, image map link graphic. This is right alt text, image map link graphic. | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Edge 105 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, image map link. This is right alt text, image map link | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 94 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, image map link. This is right alt text, image map link. | |
![]() | FF91 | Reading | Image map link graphic, this is left alt text. Image map link graphic, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | FF91 | Tabbing | Graphic, this is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Edge 94 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, image map link. This is right alt text, image map link | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 86 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, image map link. This is right alt text, image map link. | |
![]() | FF78 | Reading | Image map link graphic, this is left alt text. Image map link graphic, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | FF78 | Tabbing | Graphic, this is left alt text, image map link graphic. This is right alt text, image map link graphic. | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Edge 92 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, image map link. This is right alt text, image map link | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 79 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, image map link. This is right alt text, image map link. | |
![]() | FF68 | Reading | Image map link graphic, this is left alt text. Image map link graphic, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | FF68 | Tabbing | Graphic, this is left alt text, image map link graphic. This is right alt text, image map link graphic. | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | This is left alt text, image map link. This is right alt text, image map link | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Chrome 73 | Tabbing | Tab, this is left alt text, image map link. Tab, this is right alt text, image map link. | |
![]() | FF60 | Reading | Alt ignored and link URL gibberish read out. | Image map link graphic, left underline arrow. Image map link graphic, right underline arrow. |
![]() | FF60 | Tabbing | Tab, graphic, this is left alt text, image map link graphic. Tab, this is right alt text, image map link graphic. | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Image map link, this is left alt text. Image map link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Tab, this is left alt text, image map link. Tab, this is right alt text, image map link | |
![]() | Safari 15.6 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari 15.6 | Tabbing | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari 15.0 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari 15.0 | Tabbing | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari 14.1 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari 14.1 | Tabbing | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari 13.0 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari 13.0 | Tabbing | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari 12.1 | Reading | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari 12.1 | Tabbing | Link, this is left alt text. Link, this is right alt text. | |
![]() | Safari iOS 15.6 | Touch | Link role only announced when reading if owner IMG has null alt. | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. |
![]() | Safari iOS 14.7 | Touch | Link role only announced when reading if owner IMG has null alt. | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. |
![]() | Safari iOS 13.3 | Touch | Link role only announced when reading if owner IMG has null alt. | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. |
![]() | Safari iOS 12.4 | Touch | Link role only announced when reading if owner IMG has null alt. | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. |
![]() | Safari iOS 11.4 | Touch | Link role only announced when reading if owner IMG has null alt. | This is left alt text, link. This is right alt text, link. |
SortSite rules: AccHtmlAreaNoAlt
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