When to use the null alt option for images

The standards set in WCAG 2.0 state:

Guideline 1.1 Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.

Among those text alternatives is where alt text (or alternative text) for an image is used.

The HTML5 specification states that all images must have an alt attribute. Here’s the fine print. All images must have an alt attribute, but there are times when the alt attribute can be empty or null. That is, the attribute has to be there, but there might be nothing in it. Like this:

<img src="image.png" alt="">

When is null alt text acceptable?

There are times when the text surrounding an image gives the alt text of the image. It’s part of the content. Therefore, to put the same information in an alt attribute becomes redundant and unnecessary.

Here’s an example from the blog Old Ain’t Dead in the section where the most popular posts are displayed. Alt text is shown using the tools in the Web Developer Toolbar.

You can see that the alt text for the image is exactly the same as the link text that goes with it. On a screen reader, a user would have to listen to the same text read twice. It would be better if these images had null alt text because the function of the link is explained by the text accompanying it.

Look at how Twitter deals with null alt text.

If the alt text for Twitter avatars was not null, but in fact contained the name of the Twitter account, then the name would be spoken twice in a screen reader. In the example above, with null alt text, you would hear “Jeffrey Zeldman” spoken once only because of the null alt text.

Even if you couldn’t see the little profile image, you’d still know it was Jeffrey Zeldman’s twitter account.

What about when images are not loaded or otherwise not displayed by the browser?

If you consider the two examples already mentioned – the list of top posts and the Twitter avatars – in neither situation would null alt text on the image result in the user becoming confused. The information is there in text form and it’s all that is needed.

What if the text surrounding the image does not explain what the image is?

In that case, put a description in the alt attribute that explains the function of the image or provides the content of the image.