WCAG 1.1.1 Text Alternatives for Non-text Content

All non-text content (images, video, audio, buttons, and content that isn’t relayed by text) needs to have a text alternative that conveys the same information found in the content.

Purely decorative content (e.g. dividing line between nav bar and content) does not need alt text.

What to do:

  • add alt text and/or descriptions to images
  • provide text transcripts for media
  • programmatically label form fields and buttons


Plain English Explanation:

This success criteria comes down to making sure everything on your website has a text equivalent.

Alt text is fairly easy to understand and implement (see video) but incorporating text transcripts into the flow and design of your website may be tricky.

A text transcript can convey the speakers names and roles and what they say. A full text description will convey other relevant information contained within a video.

You can always copy and paste a full text transcript directly below a video but this is not a viable option for many websites. Another option is to create a descriptive link below the video (e.g. text transcript for video) and include the full text transcript on another page. A smoother option is to have the text transcript available in the page itself. I have provided two hands off, paid options in the resources.

I will continue to research low cost text transcript options or create my own. All subscribers to accessible.org will be alerted when I find or create new options.

Understanding 1.1.1