Spotlight 16:
Images of Texts
(WCAG 1.4.5 & 1.4.9)
In this spotlight, let's discuss images of text and how they may impact learners accessing your content.
What the criteria say
WCAG 1.4.5: Images of Text (AA) states that if an author can use text to achieve the same visual effect, they should present the information as text rather than using an image. Images of text can be images of styled headings, quotations, logos, letters with important content, diagrams with text, or infographics with text. Not complying with this criterion and using images of text or text that is presented inside an image, can impact people with low vision as images can become blurry when enlarged. They can also impact people using smaller screens to access the content as these images don't scale to the screen as the native text does. Besides, unless Alt text is used, screen reader users will not be able to access the written content.
Images of text (WCAG 1.4.5 vs 1.4.9) Image Transcript
Images of text (WCAG 1.4.5 vs 1.4.9)
There are two columns.
The first column says Image-only information and there’s an image of a desktop screen and a mobile screen. They both show an image of a table created by LCA Spotlight. The image on the desktop screen is fairly visible but not really legible, whereas the same image on the mobile screen is much smaller in size and hardly visible, but not legible.
The second column says text information and instead of an image displays text. The desktop screen shows fair legible text but also displays the zoom function of the screen, highlighting that users can zoom into it. The mobile screen shows the information in a fairly legible size due to the small screen adjusting the text to the necessary reading size of the text.
The image ends with the LCA Spotlight logo.
One exception to this rule is if the user can customize the text in the image by changing the font or the colour for example. Another example is when the text in the image is essential such as with logos, charts and graphs. Note, however, that it is best practice to provide Alt text with images at all times.
The advanced version of this criterion, 1.4.9: Images of Text (No Exception) AAA states that images of text should be used ONLY for decorative purposes or when they are considered essential like logos, charts and diagrams.
Resources:
Review this link to learn why images of text can be a barrier to different types of users: Images of text | Web Accessibility (duke.edu)
Learn why it’s important to use text in this article: Why Is It Important for Accessibility to Use Actual Text Instead of Images of Text? (boia.org)
Follow this link to read the full WCAG criteria of 1.4.5: 1.4.5 Images of text (w3.org)
Discussion questions:
Get Involved: Come to the LCA Spotlight LinkedIn group and join the conversation.
In what instances would it be better to use images of text?
What methods do you use to make images of text accessible?
What would you say to a stakeholder who insists on using images of text?
When you post in the community, use the hashtag #LCASpotlightImagesOfText
Spotlight 15: Contrast
Spotlight 17: Audio content