Every meaningful image has alt text that says what a learner needs from it, and decorative images are marked so screen readers skip them.
Why it matters
A screen reader user hears the alt text in place of the image. If it’s missing they may hear a file name; if it’s vague they miss whatever the image was there to teach.
What passing looks like
- Alt text gives the image’s purpose in this lesson, not just what it shows.
- Decorative images are marked decorative, so they’re skipped.
- No file names, and no “image of” at the start.
- Any text inside the image also appears in the alt text or nearby.
Example
Alt text: image1.png (on a screenshot showing where the Approve button is)
The problem: The image is there to show where a button is, and the alt text says nothing.
Alt text: The Approve button sits at the top right of the expense report, next to Reject.
What Pedagrade can’t tell
Pedagrade reads your course’s text and storyboard. It is not a technical scan of the built course. Before launch, pair it with a tool like WAVE or axe and a quick keyboard test.
This check is covered by Pedagrade’s published accuracy tests. See the accuracy report.
Learn more
- W3C, Understanding Success Criterion 1.1.1: Non-text Content
- W3C, Images Tutorial
- Pedagrade guide: WCAG checklist for e-learning
Check your own course against this.
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